Versatile Nolan ready to answer Trap’s call

SOME things you just couldn’t make up. When Ireland went down 5-2 to Cyprus three years ago, Eddie Nolan was on U17 duties in Macedonia, the scene of a previous away day nightmare.

It was a 3-2 defeat in Skopje that had prompted then manager Mick McCarthy to introduce a yellow jersey for the team’s worst trainer with the legend ‘I Had a Macedonia’ emblazoned across the chest.

Bad that night back in 1997 pales in comparison with what happened in Nicosia nine years later and the last thing anyone wanted after that was any sort of reminder of just how bad it was.