Ireland bloom in the green fields of France

“I KNEW that Damien Duff and Robbie Keane and players like that would be a threat and tonight they showed that if you give them space they can destroy a team.

“I didn’t have any doubt that Ireland had a good squad but tonight they showed they can really play football. Going forward I’d have to say they are the best team I’ve seen in the group so far.”

Words that would be music to the ears of Brian Kerr no matter who said them, they begin to sound like a number one hit when the speaker is a man regarded by many as the greatest striker in the world. An hour or so after a draw that must have felt more like a defeat, Thierry Henry was graciousness itself as he took time out to talk to journalists in the Stade de France on Saturday night.