Proud John O’Shea will always treasure Ireland bonds

Sitting alongside Martin O’Neill at the top table for what was his final eve-of-match Irish press conference yesterday, John O’Shea recalled with amusement the false start to his underage Irish career as a teenage hopeful from Waterford.

“I remember the first time that I was told that I was going to be in the Ireland panel after the Kennedy Cup,” he said. “We played up in Athlone in the semi-final and final against North Dublin and Galway. I was told that I was in the squad and then the squad was announced — and I wasn’t in it. I think my Dad (his late father Jim) learned a lesson that day not to tell me anything until it was official!

“But the following year I was in the (U16) squad and that was the start of a great journey. To have that success in the European Championships in 1998 was incredible and set me on the path for my career in Manchester.”