Former Scotland boss Craig Brown reveals Jack Charlton envy

When Ireland played Scotland in last November’s European Championship Qualifier at Celtic Park, much of the pre-match build-up was dominated by the potential presence of two Scottish-born players, James McCarthy and Aiden McGeady, in Martin O’Neill’s side.

Injury ultimately ruled McCarthy of contention for that clash, but both players are expected to feature against the country of their birth in a must-win encounter at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Speaking yesterday at a McDonald’s FAI Future Football Programme event, former Scottish manager Craig Brown felt that it was the duty of an international coach to explore every avenue available in terms of player recruitment, and for this reason he was envious of Jack Charlton when he was in charge of the Republic of Ireland.