Paul McShane looking to leave his mark
James McClean’s stern challenge on Arek Milik was considered the catalyst for Ireland’s comeback against Poland in March and McShane is renowned for giving everything to the cause.
That the intended recipient of the defender’s robustness, Andrew Robertson, was a club-mate of his for the past year shouldn’t be a surprise either.
Asked whether he can get one over the Hull City Scot, McShane retorted: “Yeah, I’ll bury him.”
The 29-year-old knows he has a task ahead this week to earn a spot in Martin O’Neill’s line-up before any such treatment, albeit of the trash-talk variety, can be administered.
Sunday’s cameo as a substitute for the injured John O’Shea represented the Wicklowman’s first involvement at international level for two years and the indications are O’Neill will stick with the back-four that started against Poland and England.
Still, with O’Shea nursing a slight calf strain and the manager yesterday revealing that an alternate ‘three-at-the-back’ has been practised in training, if Saturday’s game needs chasing, the man called in from the cold could yet feel warmer.
“It was great to be back in the fold,” said McShane, recently released by the relegated Tigers. “To get on the pitch against England was definitely a positive and we’ll see how it goes in the lead-up to Scotland now.
“Robbie Brady was brilliant on Saturday. He has been left wing-back for Hull and I have been the left-sided centre half so we have a good understanding.
“We’ll got to be confident heading into the Scotland game. We’ve turned in a couple of decent defensive displays, we just need that goal because goals change games. It’s a massive game, everyone knows how huge is it, and we’ll be ready for it.”
Whether the crowd will be is another matter. The entertainment on offer during Sunday’s stalemate was certainly lacking but McShane expected the historic meeting with the Auld Enemy to generate a far better atmosphere at the Dublin 4 venue.
“I thought the place would be bouncing but the crowd were quiet and it just seemed a bit flat,” said the 32-times capped defender.
“I suppose it was an end-of-season friendly and, with the big game coming on Saturday, I think people will be firing on all cylinders for that.”
The former Manchester United, West Brom and Sunderland man is one of the few members of the current squad that departed Paris six years ago aggrieved at Thierry Henry’s handball putting France through to the World Cup finals at Ireland’s expense.
Now that issue is being rehashed in light of the FAI’s €5m compensation entering the public sphere, McShane takes no solace from the association’s pay-off.
He said: “It’s not a consolation for me. We wanted to go to the World Cup. There’s nothing we can do about the headlines. It’s not really our job to get involved in all the politics going on.”
On club matters, McShane insists he’s a few offers from prospective suitors already, two of which are believed to be from Ipswich Town and Reading.
“It was disappointing to leave Hull after six-and-a-half years, I’ve got a real bond with the club and fans, but there’s no romance in the game.
“It looks promising so far, there’s a few decisions to make in the next month. I’ll just turn up for pre-season on July 7 blindfolded at whatever club!”
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