Mood in Irish camp ‘very positive’
Harte, a former recipient of an Irish Examiner Youth Sports Star Award, says he was quite shocked to have got the call up into the Irish squad for these European Championships.
“I was really quite surprised to have been selected for the squad at all and I genuinely could not believe I was in the first 11 to play Spain. I came to Manchester with no high hopes other than to learn as much as I could, so I am truly delighted to get the nod,” the youthful Harte commented.
Ireland, confidence brimming after the draw with Spain, now face Holland today and Harte says the whole squad was hugely buoyed by that result.
“The mood in the camp is very positive and all the players now believe we can really achieve something. We’re not just here to make up the numbers.
“We showed against Spain what we can do and from my own point of view it was great and we put up such a good defensive display.
“Certainly we had a lot of problems with injuries in the run-in and that meant that both John Jermyn and
Ronan Gormley were playing out of position in the full-back berths, but it worked out well and both of them, along with Paddy Brown and Iain Lewers were a really confidence inspiring pair at centre back for me to play behind.”
Harte reckons that the result against Spain – and particularly the fact that a couple of dodgy umpiring decisions might have cost them the win – has lifted the team’s belief in its collective ability and he says there is a distinct feeling now that they can give the Dutch a run for their money.
“We can compete and we will do so against the Dutch,” he commented.
The Irish have no injury worries going into the game and coach Dave Passmore will select from a full squad.
