Keith Andrews stands by old partner Glenn Whelan

In the media room at the Aviva Stadium yesterday, former international Keith Andrews found himself sitting just a short pass away from a painful memory: a display cabinet containing Xavi’s Number 8 jersey as well as the match ball from that long night in Gdansk when Spain put four past Ireland at Euro 2012.

When the original draw had placed Giovanni Trapattoni’s team in a group with the then reigning world and European Champions, one wag proclaimed: “Well, that will settle the Xavi-Glenn Whelan debate once and for all.”

If the humour in that remark was affectionate, other criticism of Andrews’ one-time midfield partner has been of a very different, even savage, order, not least the recurring blasts Whelan has received from Eamon Dunphy who once declared: “He’s a terrible player. He can’t run, he can’t pass, he can’t tackle, he doesn’t see anything. He drives two Ferraris: I think he’s a very lucky lad to have 50 caps for Ireland.”