Moment of destiny for Robbie Brady
Ireland got the away goal they sought and on an evening of containment by Martin O’Neill, the cameo of magic produced from the 23-year-old to give his side the lead eight minutes from full-time proved beyond doubt his worth in a position high up the pitch.
A defender Brady certainly isn’t and never was. The sight of him racing back as Bosnia-Herzegovina plundered an equaliser said it all; his game is best suited in the final rather than first third.
That was already illustrated when the Norwich City got caught out against Poland for their opener in March, having been surprisingly thrust into that berth for the first time in a competitive fixture.
Should the Baldoyle native be tainted by his defensive deficiencies? Absolutely not.
That would be to overshadow his role in bringing life to Ireland’s threat up top. For all the directness James McClean brings and trickery of Aiden McGeady, Brady’s portfolio trumps the pair.
Not blessed with lightning pace, the former Manchester United trainee possesses an array of skills at home in the Premier League and top-level international football.
His delicious cross for childhood teammate Jeff Hendrick in the second half, at a time when Ireland were being camped in their own half, demonstrated the outlet he provides.
So too was his pass from the half-way line into the channels for Daryl Murphy to bear down on.
In his head and with his feet, Brady has become a symbol of hope for Ireland in an era where many of our most accomplished performers are on the brink of retirement.
The Dubliner found Giovanni Trapattoni a reluctant believer, only coming of age in an Ireland jersey after the Italian’s exit and arrival of O’Neill.
Infamously, Trap selected and then deselected Brady for a pivotal World Cup qualifier in Sweden, suggesting the player wasn’t mentally ready for the challenge.
The intimation riled Brady and his family. Ever since Robbie has been courted by the all the big Premier League clubs, including Liverpool who brought him to their Champions League final in 2005, nothing has overawed the tyro.
Whether that was making his United debut in the League Cup or facing Liverpool, the club he rejected for their fierce rivals, in his first game on loan at Hull City, nerves were not a factor.
Despite being injured at the time of Ireland’s first matches under the new regime two years ago, a rapport developed quickly after Brady arrived unannounced at a training session at Gannon Park.
O’Neill hadn’t requested his presence but the gesture was greatly appreciated by the manager and his assistant who would have seen the prodigy first as a trialist in Manchester United when Keane was still club captain.
While their paths didn’t cross directly at Carrington, Keane took an interest in the emerging star and singled him out as a match-winner on his day. Alex Ferguson thought as much, fast-tracking Brady into his first-team training as a teen and taking him on a pre-season tour of Asia.
In the end, though, the Scot moved the Irishman onto his former skipper Steve Bruce for €3m as Wilfried Zaha was coming the other way on a deal five times higher.
It proved to be one of Fergie’s last transactions as he retired four months later.
As ever with the managerial legend, he got most decisions right but offloading Brady is one over which remains a question, especially given Zaha’s flop at United.
In their parting conversation, Brady was told the capability existed for him to make an Old Trafford return as top-flight player.
That was realised after he helped Hull gain promotion in his first full season and again this term after Norwich City swooped as the Tigers lost their Premier League status.
Apart from Trap’s doubts, Brady’s international calibre has always been there.
On the occasion of his 19th cap, and fourth goal, he need not worry about the naysayers .
The legacy can wait.
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