Trapattoni: I am very proud, this is the most important moment we have had

BELIEVE in me, he told us.

That was three-and-a-half years ago when Giovanni Trapattoni was introduced to the nation at a gala press conference at the RDS and insisted there was no reason why our national team should not be part of the game’s summer extravaganzas.

“I have watched many (Ireland) games and all we needed was a little bit of organisation,” he said that day. “We have some very good players with good qualities and they just have to believe in me. We have to improve a couple of things.”