‘Doing a Leicester’ unrealistic, says Martin O’Neill

Martin O’Neill has talked up his 23-man Republic of Ireland squad ahead of the Euros while playing down any possible comparisons with a Leicester City side that has set the bar for underdogs.

Speaking alongside Roy Keane at the ‘Bon Voyage to the Boys in Green’ evening at Cork’s Opera House, O’Neill was in jovial mood as he looked ahead to the tournament which pits Ireland against Sweden, Belgium and Italy in Group E.

But talk of ‘doing a Leicester’ was met with caution. “I think it is unrealistic. Leicester have come up and what they have achieved is phenomenal, at club level. It’s obviously the highlight of the century so far, but I’m not so sure you can draw that comparison with things.