It’s time to prove my worth, admits returning star Gibson

Of all the missionaries seeking redemption in Cologne tomorrow night, Darron Gibson’s case jumps to the forefront.

While Anthony Stokes, Joey O’Brien and — in particular — Andy Reid have demons of the Giovanni Trapattoni regime to banish in the cauldron of the Müngersdorfer Stadium, it’s the return of the Derryman which offers the intrigue on a night when performances will matter more in a wider context than the result.

By straying into regal territory inhabited before him by Roy Keane and Stephen Ireland, Gibson knew well his decision of a year ago to mount a one-man picket on the Trapattoni era would divide opinion.