18 questions for Irish football in 2018

Ireland won’t be part of the summer World Cup spectacle but there remains some burning issues for the game here in the year ahead.

1. Which players will retire from the Ireland squad?

The future of at least five players is in doubt as the timebomb on an ageing Ireland team is set to detonate. John O’Shea will be hitting 38 and Wes Hoolahan nearing 37 by the time of the next Euro qualification phase in March 2019 and so are likely to bow out of international football. Less certain are the plans of Jon Walters, Daryl Murphy and Glenn Whelan but, still, an exodus is imminent.