High-flying O’Dea in for the long haul

If there’s one player, above all others, who personifies the concept of commitment to the Irish cause, then it must be Darren O’Dea.

Just take a look at his itinerary this week: having flown from Canada into London on Monday to prepare for tomorrow’s game at Wembley, he will make the reverse trip on Thursday so he can play for his club Toronto on Saturday, before flying back again across the Atlantic to rejoin the Irish squad in Dublin ahead of the World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands on June 7.

Whew, the air miles must be handy, a wag suggests.