McShane finishes hectic week on a high

Paul McShane was planning a trip to Dundrum Shopping Centre when The Call came through.

Placed on standby by Giovanni Trapattoni for the European Championships earlier this month, he happened to be back on home soil for a few weeks after the domestic season shut down in England and was contemplating a short break in Marbella.

Hence, the mooted shopping trip.

All that changed when his country came calling at the request of a certain Italian gentleman. McShane was checking in to the team hotel in Portmarnock later that day and an extraordinary week ended with 78 minutes against Bosnia on Saturday and yesterday’s flight to Italy.

“It’s been a topsy-turvy week, but it’s nice to be back in the squad,” he admitted. “I got the phone call on Wednesday morning. I didn’t know much about it. It was the last thing I expected at the start of this week, to be playing in this game.

“I was very disappointed (not to be in original squad) but I’ve not had the best of seasons with games. I had injuries at the start of the season and then with whatever was happening at Hull, so it’s been stop and start. I’ve only played about 10 games.

“I was disappointed, but at the same time I could sort of see the logic. I’ve always thought my performances were good when I have played. I was as disappointed, as anyone would be, but you have to take those disappointments and learn from them.”

He kept his eye in, just in case. Weekends were being spent catching up with a few mates and letting his hair down. Weekdays passed with the odd session in the gym or run but, after six years of regular football, rest was a major priority too.

Whatever the recipe, it worked.

McShane had won 26 caps for his country prior to Saturday, the first of them in a man-of-the-match display against Jan Koller and the Czech Republic in a Euro 2008 qualifier at Lansdowne Road just four days after that 5-2 debacle against Cyprus in Nicosia.

He was good enough that night that there were comparisons with Paul McGrath, no less. He has since earned himself a reputation as a defender prone to err but he grabbed his chance at the weekend with one of his finest days in a green shirt.

Though nutmegged within minutes of the kick-off, McShane proceeded to play safe for the next 20 minutes or so before kicking on with a display that combined a steadiness at the back, some decent distribution and a willingness to push forward.

As he said himself, what was there to lose?

It comes at a time when McShane is in limbo with his club career. He spent the last five months on loan at Crystal Palace but has one more season on his contract at Hull City, where manager Nick Barmby has recently been shown the door.

Wherever he ends up next season, he could do with putting down some roots. Like a lot of players in this Irish squad, he has traded his wares all over England since joining Manchester United in 2004. Palace’s was the seventh crest he has worn since then.

All that is for another day. Right now, he finds himself in Montecatini with the rest of the Irish squad with less than two weeks to go before the first Group C game against Croatia in Poznan. Whether he will still be around by then remains to be seen.

“I’m going to Italy, but after that, I don’t know really,” he admitted. “I’m just going to take each step at a time and expect nothing. If I end up going to Poland, that’s great, but if not, I’m just happy to be here with the lads.

“The manager hasn’t said much really. I’ve just come in and trained. He’s said to me that I’ve got as much of a chance as any other player, so that’s a good thing to hear. I’m just going to train away and play the games and see where it takes me.”

It has taken him this far already.