I’m no different. Hopefully I’ve given him food for thought.
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James McCarthy is confident he will be fit for the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2016 opener against Sweden after bouncing back from a fitness scare.
The 21-year-old midfielder, who played his part in Oxford’s promotion from League Two during the season which has just finished, made his worldwide debut as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat by Belarus and impressed on a night when not too many others did.
“A lot of people sit around and think well it’s not the right move for me so you give Aiden a little bit of credit for that”.
Cork – Roy Keane said on Wednesday he felt like killing some of the Republic of Ireland players who played in Tuesday’s Euro 2016 warm-up defeat by Belarus.
An hour later, though, it was the man who had played in Gelsenkirchen who was left out with the 35-year-old paying the price for his lack of first team action over the course of this season.
‘You play three matches, start with Sweden, and you go for it.
“It’s not chess we are playing”.
Ireland coach Martin O’Neill has gambled on Robbie Keane’s fitness despite the country’s leading goal-scorer carrying a calf injury.
He was less than happy with the arrangements for Ireland’s preparations, but his employers have pulled out all the stops this time around.
“The support we get as a small nation, no matter where we go it’s a reflection on how good this nation is and the togetherness that everyone is when we go into major tournaments”.
“I think the players have good mentality”.
However, one thing remains very clear: Martin O’Neill is the boss.
He has told his players it’s a “man’s game”, and that they don’t need to take pain killers every time they pick up a slight injury. “Now that it’s down to 23, I’m sure there will be work on the games to come now, how we’re going to play, our set-pieces”.
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Perhaps the prospect of being back in top-level competition agrees with him.
