‘We’ve given 13 debuts and there are more to come’: Stephen Kenny focusing on long-term solutions

Manager Stephen Kenny during a Republic of Ireland training session at PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona, Spain on Satruday. Picture: Pedro Salado/Sportsfile

As he seeks his first win after a year and 11 games in charge against lowly Andorra on Thursday, Ireland manager Stephen Kenny admits it will take until the next European Championship campaign for the fruits of his work to be seen.

Back-to-back defeats to Serbia and Luxembourg in March have left Ireland trailing both the Serbs and Portugal by seven points in a condensed qualification series for next year’s World Cup.