Niall Quinn hails FAI deal as ‘manna from heaven’

From Lansdowne Road to Wembley and from Palermo to Ibaraki, Niall Quinn enjoyed plenty of euphoric moments in the green shirt.

But even though suited rather than booted, and standing outside the Department of Sport rather than a dressing room, the football legend has rarely seemed more enthused by a result than he did yesterday afternoon, as he talked up what he clearly regards as a game-changing deal for Irish football, hammered out in negotiations between government, Uefa, the Bank of Ireland, and the FAI.