Andrew Omobamidele happy to face Portugal challenge head on

Omobamidele has already rubbed shoulders this season with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Takumi Minamino, Raphinha, and Ivan Toney in the Premier League

SHINING IN ADVERSITY: Andrew Omobamidele has earned rave reviews in East Anglia despite Norwich City’s struggles. Picture: INPHO/Evan Treacy

If it’s true that you can tell a man by the company he keeps, then Andrew Omobamidele is mixing in all the right circles.

A rare example of a Republic of Ireland player getting regular runs in the Premier League, Omobamidele has already rubbed shoulders this season with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Takumi Minamino, Raphinha, and Ivan Toney.

Still only 19, he has earned rave reviews in East Anglia despite Norwich City’s struggles and the resultant sacking last weekend of Daniel Farke, whose use of the youngster against Leeds United spoke loudly for how highly he is rated.

Brandon Williams, on loan from Manchester United, was a more obvious choice for the left-back role and a marking job on Raphinha. And, if not him, then Dimitrios Giannoulis, the Greek defender signed for over €7m from PAOK Salonika during the summer.

Omobamidele had his troubles against Leeds’ tricky winger, but a goal apiece was an indicator as to the fact that both men had their moments. All told, it was a more than acceptable display, not least for the fact he was playing out of position.

“It was good, as that’s the level I want to be playing at, week in, week out,” he said.

“To be playing against those players at such an early part of my career is just going to benefit me. It was disappointing about the result but, overall, it was a good experience and a good test.”

At no stage has he appeared overwhelmed by any of this, though he gets the enormity of the leap Farke allowed him to take, and made a point of publicly thanking the German in the wake of his exit from Carrow Road.

Stephen Kenny has followed that lead.

When Dara O’Shea came off injured 36 minutes into Ireland’s World Cup qualifier away to Portugal back in September, Omobamidele was the man ushered in, and he all but breezed through his senior international debut.

It’s far too early to be making comparisons, but it is interesting to note that Rio Ferdinand was the centre-back he took particular interest in growing up and, in latter years, his eye has wandered towards Virgil van Dyk.

Both are Rolls Royce defenders. So too Paul McGrath, who lavished the ‘kid’ with praise after his international bow in Faro two months ago. McGrath was before his time, but he recognises the kudos that brings. So did his mum, who directed the tweet his way.

“It gives you that little pat on the back, a bit of recognition. It also gives you that extra bit of motivation, because people are starting to recognise you, your talent. It makes you want to grow harder, so it was good.”

McGrath was a master. His acclaimed performance when denying Italy in New Jersey at the 1994 World Cup is always hailed as his best work, but he put together a portfolio of pure excellence that remains the benchmark for any Irish defender.

Richard Dunne’s heroics in Moscow 10 years ago is the only effort that can match it, but Ireland’s collective display in frustrating the Portuguese last time out was almost up there with the very best backs-against-the-walls efforts by the Boys In Green.

They weren’t the first, or the last, side to find that Cristiano Ronaldo needs no more than a split second or two to turn a game and a result on its head. Of all the lessons Omobamidele has learned in his brief stint at the sharp end, it was surely the most painful.

“When we were 1-0 up and the game was nearly over, obviously you can hear the experienced lads talking amongst each other, and you get that feeling, ‘when is the whistle going to blow, when is the whistle going to blow?’

“But you still need to be focused in and, as we saw, the game can change like that. After, when the final whistle blew, there was just disappointment, but there are a lot of positives we can take from that game in that we held them up for that long.

“It was just those three minutes of football that can change a whole game.”