From supporting Ireland at Euro fanzones last summer to being part of the squad aiming for World Cup qualification, Callum O’Dowda has enjoyed quite a year.

Antoine Griezmann’s controversial first-half penalty handed Atletico Madrid a tight 1-0 win over gutsy Leicester in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.

FAI chief executive John Delaney is confident the momentum generated by the Republic of Ireland’s memorable Euro 2016 campaign can carry the team through the World Cup qualifiers.

As Belgium gear up to take their early Euro 2016 frustrations out on Ireland, it has emerged Everton striker Romelu Lukaku could be culled from the side which lost their opener to Italy on Monday.

If Cyrus Christie gets told his biggest obstacle in life is dislodging the best right-back in the Premier League to further his international career, then he’d have every reason to chuckle.

Ireland’s Group E chances may come down to our accuracy from set-pieces - and whether Robbie Brady is hitting the sweet spot on the given day.

Ireland manager Martin O’Neill last night paid tribute to the Premier League title feat of his former club Leicester City, insisting their success was a “once in a lifetime” milestone.

Given that he found himself featuring in yet another non-football story to hog the headlines in Ireland, Martin O’Neill was asked yesterday if, since becoming national manager, he has ever felt like he’s ended up in a soap opera.

Roy Keane, Martin O’Neill and other members of the Ireland football team’s management were involved in a road crash last night on the M50 motorway.

When Carlow-born John Keogh sits down at a packed Parkhead tomorrow night, he’ll know the circuitous journey taken by his son Richard has all been worth it.

Cyrus Christie and Jack Grealish go way back, to their days growing up in the English midlands, and Martin O’Neill’s newest defensive recruit is hoping the pair can still cross paths again with the Republic of Ireland.

The standards he demands of the FAI certainly haven’t slipped but in his new book Roy Keane outlines an incident during the summer trip of the US that may, as he admits himself, have triggered another Saipan during a previous volatile stage of his career.

For somebody who considers 24 not enough hours in the day, Roy Keane is willing to deliver the graft demanded of his new double-jobbing arrangement confirmed by Aston Villa yesterday.

Roy Keane, who turned up at Cork City’s match last night, is set to be appointed Aston Villa’s assistant manager next week after Ireland boss Martin O’Neill agreed to allow his sidekick job-share.

Republic of Ireland skipper John O’Shea is confident manager Martin O’Neill will more than make up for the loss of Roy Keane if he (Keane) lands the Celtic job.

So it's official. Two men from opposite ends of Ireland have been tasked with working together to deliver Irish soccer to new heights. In this article Kieran Shannon asks if the Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane combination is destined for success.

New Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio has warned the players will have to fit in with his disciplined approach to training to avoid becoming “a team of anarchists”.

I HAVE always suffered with PMT – that’s Pre-Match Tension – but the week leading up to the Liverpool game was torturous. I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t sleep, I was distracted, my nerves were shot to pieces with the thought that we could have come so close and then throw it away for the third and final time at Anfield.

Martin O’Neill admits that Aston Villa winger Ashley Young is having to cope with becoming one of the most marked men in the Barclays Premier League.

Kevin Blackwell has denied West Brom midfielder Sean Gregan was at the top of his summer shopping list.

Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell has been given the cash to bring in Brian Deane, Steve Guppy and Craig Hignett over the next few days.

Former Leeds United striker Brian Deane may be set for a return to Elland Road after travelling to Sweden with the rest of the squad for their pre-season tour.

Charlton 2 Leicester 2

Leeds 3 Leicester 2

Leeds shift captain Dominic Matteo into midfield for this relegation six-pointer at Elland Road.

Leicester 0 Liverpool 0

Leicester 1 Everton 1

Tottenham 4 Leicester 4

Leicester 1 Bolton 1

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill is confident his current squad is strong enough for the rest of the campaign.

Steve Guppy believes the famous fighting spirit ingrained into Leicester by Martin O’Neill is still evident – and can help keep the Foxes in the Barclaycard Premiership.

Gerard Houllier is confident Liverpool are close to opening contract talks with Michael Owen.

Middlesbrough 3 Leicester 3

Steve Guppy has today agreed to rejoin Leicester on a short-term contract until the end of the season.

CELTIC manager Martin O’Neill conceded yesterday that another defeat at the hands of Anderlecht would bring their Champions League adventure to a premature end.

STILIAN PETROV believes Celtic must take at least seven points from their last three group games to have any chance of a Champions League knock-out place.

Celtic‘s influential defensive duo Johan Mjallby and Joos Valgaeren today put themselves back in the frame for first-team returns ahead of next week‘s Champions League Group A match against Anderlecht.

Celtic‘s influential defensive duo Johan Mjallby and Joos Valgaeren today put themselves back in the frame for first-team returns ahead of next week‘s Champions League Group A match against Anderlecht.

CELTIC manager Martin O’Neill could have all his big guns back for their next Champions League match, against Anderlecht.

MARTIN O’NEILL has confirmed he will not be appealing against Bobo Balde’s red card against Hibernian on Saturday which rules him out of this Sunday’s clash with Rangers.