Eager Robbie Brady relishing captain’s role

Although a number of the more senior candidates – among them John O’Shea, Glenn Whelan and Jon Walters — have left the squad to return to their clubs, it still tells you something about how important a player Robbie Brady has become for Ireland, that Martin O’Neill has nominated him as captain for the friendly game against Iceland at the Aviva tonight.

While the Dubliner described the honour as “a dream come true”, he was quick to acknowledge he would rather have been taking the armband from Seamus Coleman under much happier circumstances.

“It has been disappointing, obviously, for our captain and the lad that Seamus is,” said Brady of the serious injury sustained by Coleman on Friday night. “We knew straight away when it happened and we’ll all be there to help him through it as best we can.”

Addressing tonight’s game, the Burnley man said: “I’m looking forward to leading the lads out. I have only captained at under-age internationally, so I’m not sure what kind of captain I’ll be. But I’ve played under some great captains — including a great captain in Seamus Coleman — so I’ll do the best I can.”

Although the visit of Iceland has been hugely overshadowed by concern for Coleman, the fact remains that friendly games have always proved useful as a means of introducing young and fringe players to international football.

Brady knows this better than most, having stolen the show on his debut under Giovanni Trapattoni by scoring one goal and setting up two more in a 4-1 victory against Oman at Craven Cottage in September 2012 before cementing himself in Martin O’Neill’s favour with another eye-catching display — and two more goals — in another 4-1 win, this time against the USA, in November, 2014.

“This is a big game in a lot of respects,” said Brady. “It’s a big opportunity for new lads coming in to stake a claim. I managed to impress in friendlies before I got a competitive start and hopefully anyone who gets a run-out tonight will impress and manage to take their chance.”

O’Neill himself echoed these sentiments.

“Absolutely, this is their opportunity,” he said. “It’s an international game of some standing and it’s up to them. And the best way to try and impress is go out there and do it on the international stage.

“When I came in first, I was not aware of how important friendly games were in that you can improve your coefficient. We have this game now against a side that has done exceptionally well at the Euros and have followed it up since. They won again (against Kosovo) on Friday night. (Although) I can imagine club managers thinking: ‘Friendly games at a time when the club season is so important...’ It’s the sort of thing they don’t really want. I know that from my own experience.”

But, as Ireland manager, O’Neill has a very different view and so, tonight, he will be availing of the opportunity to give some new and fringe players a run-out.

“There will be a few who will probably see international football for the first time,” he said. “In all honesty, and in fairness to clubs, it is a friendly game and some of the lads who played on Friday night who are still with us certainly won’t start in the game and might not participate at all.”

Confirming that uncapped players such as Daryl Horgan, Andy Boyle, Conor Hourihane and John Egan are all in contention, O’Neill said: “You don’t want to give out caps just because they are there, you want them to earn it. But, for experience, you would want that. Some players who have just come into the squad, like the two lads at Preston, have acquitted themselves very well in training and they are basically just starting out in their international career. Some players who have been around the squad but haven’t played regularly may well play as well, and I think whatever length of time they have on the pitch, it’s a chance to try and impress.”