O’Dea baffled as pal Gibson opts out

Darren O’Dea admits to being close to Darron Gibson but still can’t understand his pal’s self-imposed international exile.

Both born in the same year, 1987, O’Dea was part of the Ireland U17 squad in 2003 that Derry man Gibson joined up with for the first time, after breaking new ground by switching cross-border.

They’ve developed a close bond since, progressing through the underage ranks together and into the senior squad under Steve Staunton in 2007.