O’Shea backs McClean to shine
The former Manchester United utility player has been a paid-up member of the McClean fan club since the Derry youngster first bombed past him in a training session shortly after his arrival to England’s north-east.
McClean had to bide his time at the Stadium of Light as then manager Steve Bruce opted to keep him in the reserves but Martin O’Neill showed greater abandon by chucking him into the first-team and the winger’s impact was immediate.
As breakthroughs go, it was reminiscent of Roy Keane’s at Nottingham Forest under O’Neill’s old boss Brian Clough all those years ago and O’Shea believes McClean will be a staple of future Irish teams for years to come, as the Corkman once was. Whether that will include a stint in Poland is another thing.
“He’s going about it he right way,” said O’Shea yesterday in his role as Ford ambassador. “He’s doing everything he can to help Sunderland and that’s obviously getting the attention of everybody in Ireland. The longer he does that the more chance he has of getting the manger’s attention too.
“I’m sure if he scores a few more goals before the end of the season that’ll catch the manager’s eye too. It’s down to Mr Trapattoni. That’s why he’s been successful throughout his career. He’s picking squads for a lot longer than all of us.”
The Italian names his 23-man squad on May 7 and the consensus is that it will be a straight fight between McClean and Wolves’ Stephen Hunt for one of the coveted midfield selections.
Hunt has been plagued by injury this season but Trapattoni has always placed greater emphasis on Irish get-togethers than club form, or lack of it, and his utterances in recent months suggest that he will choose the former Reading man over the younger candidate.
“What Hunty has done for Ireland and how he has worked so hard to be the player that he is ... to get the career that he has got ... he has been fantastic for Ireland when he has been selected and I’m sure he will be at the Euros,” said O’Shea.
“I’m sure [Trapattoni] has practically picked his squad, I dunno, a few months ago. Obviously, he’s probably left one or two spots where he’s thinking, ‘okay, I can make a change here if it’s necessary’.’’ Trapattoni’s loyalty to familiar faces has attracted criticism but Ireland’s issues are minor compared to those of England who find themselves without a manager but with Harry Redknapp expected to take the reins before June.
“Can you imagine what we’d be like if that situation ... it would be such a surreal feeling for the first European Championships in 24 years to be going in like that. Maybe they do have a deal done behind the scenes.
“It it’s a very strange situation but it could work out for them because normally they have themselves lifting the trophy before they’ve arrived at the tournament so it might work in their favour this time.”
John O'Shea on Ireland 2012 - Ford Republic of Football
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