McClean must be on plane to Poland, says Hand

Former Republic of Ireland manager Eoin Hand has urged Giovanni Trapattoni to take Sunderland star James McClean to this summer’s European Championships.

Derry-man McClean, 22, has enjoyed an explosive start to his Sunderland career in his first season on Wearside, which has led to growing calls to include the flying winger in Ireland’s 23-man squad for the Euros.

“Right now, if it was my decision and I was the manager, I would take McClean because he brings something different. He is a strong runner, he is good defensively, he is brave and he can score goals so I would bring him,” Hand said.

“We know Trapattoni is loyal to the players that have got Ireland this far so it’s a wait and see game now.

“McClean is an excellent player but Trapattoni is going about this the right way. He can’t show his hand now because he has to wait and see who he has got before he picks his squad.

Hand believes Ireland’s hopes of advancing to the knock-out stages at the European Championships will all hinge on the final group game against Italy, a match where he feels Ireland will give a display on par with their heroic performance in a 2009 World Cup play-off against France in Paris.

“We were always going to be underdogs anyway, no matter what group we were drawn in. But I think it’s a fabulous draw for us,” Hand explained.

“Spain are the world champions and are a fantastic side but we play a game to stop a passing side. That’s what we do all the time. The crucial game is the first one against Croatia. We can’t lose that.

“Then it will all come down to the Italian match. What a finish it will be, what a climax it promises to be if we are going to Poznan to play Italy knowing that a win would get us through to the next round.

“There is nothing to say that we can’t beat Italy, especially with Trapattoni. Going on the record he has, going on the psychology between them, we would have to fancy our chances.”