Robbie Brady enjoying senior moments with Ireland

At 24, he might still be sufficiently tender in years to have claimed the FAI Young International Player of the Year on Sunday night but, as an established member of Ireland’s France 2016 squad, Robbie Brady is already beginning to feel increasingly like one of the more senior boys in green.

“I was actually talking to the lads in the dressing room earlier saying I remember when Jeff (Hendrick) and I were the youngest in the squad by far,” he says. “Now, to see the younger lads coming through is great. If I can help them in any way, I’ll be more than happy to do that.

“Even Jack (Byrne) coming in today, he’s got a lively personality. It’s great to have people like him around the place because I was him going back a few years. I think he was a bit nervous earlier coming in but he has nothing to be nervous about. I’ve seen him play growing up at St Kevin’s Boys, seen quite a bit of him, and he’s a top player.”

To go with his more seasoned status, the Dubliner has also been accumulating quite a few battle scars at Norwich. A friendly fire incident saw him lose two teeth and, last Saturday, he ended up with a sore shoulder and blurred vision after another full-on collision.

A scan revealed no serious damage but even if the injury does mean that Martin O’Neill decides to rest him for one or both of the upcoming friendly games, his absence won’t have any longer-term consequences for the Dubliner, who has already passed all the serious Euro 2016 trials in the course of an impressive qualifying campaign.

Barring injury, the only question mark about his involvement in France will concern precisely where the manager decides to deploy him on the pitch.

“Over the last few years, I’ve been moulded and sculpted into a defensive left-back –— well, not defensive, but in a left-back position,” he reflects. “I’ve really enjoyed it actually. I’m getting to learn a different part of the game properly. I felt I could always defend, but I’m tightening up on small things.

“Growing up as an attacking player, I love going forward, trying to score and make goals so the further up the pitch, the better for me. Whether I have to do that from left back, left wing or right wing, I’m more than happy.”

Meantime, Brady’s immediate goal at club level is an obvious one: to help keep Norwich in the Premier League.

“This Norwich team is quite lucky in respect of that, because when they went down, they only got rid of two players. They’ve all been through it and know what it takes to stay away from it and survive. I’ve stayed up and been relegated. There’s fine lines and you need that bit of luck.”