O’Neill: I can see a bit of myself in animated Conte

Martin O’Neill says he recognises his younger self in Antonio Conte.

Conte, who has just guided Chelsea to the Premier League title, was the manager of Italy when Ireland memorably beat the Azzurri 1-0 at the Euro 2016 finals in France last summer.

And then, as now, O’Neill was struck by his counterpart’s animation on the touchline.

“Ah yeah, very much so,” said the Ireland manager yesterday. “He’s a passionate guy. He kind of does remind me of a younger me. I was probably the first one to invent the jumping up on the touchline. It’s become a common theme now.”

After pointing out, with a grin, that the similarities don’t extend to his having undergone a hair transplant, O’Neill went on to hail Conte’s title success at Stamford Bridge.

“He’s done splendidly. He’s reinvigorated a lad like (Eden) Hazard which was very, very important. He left a great figure like John Terry out of the side and felt that this was the three (at the back) he was going to go with. Kante was a great buy.

“Where he has had a bit of a break, and I do agree with Arsene Wenger in this sense, is that he had nothing else to concern himself with.

“No Champions League football to worry about. No European football. But does that diminish the achievement? In my mind, not really. It’s fantastic. I must admit, I was cheering him on. I thought he did brilliantly considering the clubs he was up against and with the money someone like United spent. Considering that he was being quizzed about his job seven weeks into it, particularly after they lost to Arsenal, it’s a great achievement.”

O’Neill recalled how he twice shook hands with Conte at the end of the Euros game in Lille, once when they wrongly thought the game was over and then when, definitively, the ref blew the final whistle on Ireland’s 1-0 win.

Legendary Italian ‘keeper Gigi Buffon also went out of his way to congratulate the Irish that night, a gesture which was not lost on O’Neill who is now hoping the Juventus veteran can finish this season by claiming his first ever Champions League medal in Cardiff on June 3.

“Absolutely. Real Madrid have won it, and he more than anyone else, I would love to see him do it. He’s been a fantastic goalkeeper and he was really complimentary about us that evening. So I’m cheering on Juventus.”