Liam Brady’s dose of realism amid the current euphoria surrounding the European Championship-bound senior team is a timely reminder of the ticking time bomb for Irish football.

Former Ireland international Kevin Kilbane is in advanced negotiations with the FAI about taking up a coaching role with the Ireland’s youth teams.

Irish football may have to wait up to 15 years for an overhaul of the grassroots system, according to FAI High Performance Director Ruud Dokter.

... but McCarthy remains in running for Ireland return

Ah good, the doctor will see us now. That would be Ruud Dokter, the puntastic but hitherto enigmatic FAI High Performance Director who has suddenly been thrust into the spotlight as an assistant to Noel King and as Ray Houghton’s fellow headhunter in the search for a new Ireland manager.

FAI Chief Executive John Delaney met with headhunters Ray Houghton and Ruud Dokter in Dublin yesterday as the search for a successor to Giovanni Trapattoni kicks into high gear against the background of reports that the Association would ideally like to have the new man installed by November.

Ireland’s interim manager Noel King says he’s taking on the job “with a clean slate” and is not ruling out any player for a possible call-up to the squad for next month’s games against Germany and Kazakhstan.

Quite why it takes a crisis at senior international level to trigger calls for an overhaul of a grassroots system that has for years been dysfunctional must be unique to Ireland.

It looks like Irish football is heading for a whole different ballpark, with confirmation expected next week that a friendly against Spain in New York in May will take place at Yankee Stadium.