Who’s taking care while the final push for the chosen one intensifies?

John Fallon talks us through Ireland's latest coaching ticket.

SUPPORTING CAST: Paddy McCarthy on the touchline during the Premier League match at Goodison Park. Pic: Peter Byrne, PA Wire.

John O’Shea (Head Coach): Five Premier Leagues, a Champions League and FA Cup medal were the Waterford man’s bedrock for migrating into coaching and on Saturday, March 23 the international centurion will pick his first team when Ireland meet Belgium in a friendly.  Supportive roles in the Championship at Reading, Stoke City and Birmingham City swelled his CV, as did similar stints for Ireland U21s and the last year of Stephen Kenny’s tenure.

Paddy McCarthy (Assistant Coach): Two years younger than O’Shea at 40, he was also a teen centre-back exported to Manchester but left City for a long career elsewhere before developing a penchant for coaching.  He’s elevated from U18 to U21 and senior coach at Crystal Palace – earning his Uefa Pro License from the FAI last year – and was caretaker for the recent Premier League draw at Everton.

Glenn Whelan (Assistant Coach): More respected than adored over his 91 caps, the midfielder’s blend of steeliness, attitude and professionalism always marked him out as a future coach.  That began under his former Manchester City teammate Joey Barton at Bristol City and continues with another, McCarthy, in this brief.  Whelan, who only retired from playing last year at 39, is part of the FAI’s current Pro License intake.

Brian Kerr (Technical Advisor): A new role but far from a new face to the international scene, for Kerr’s FAI connection stretches back to the 1980s as the sidekick of U18 boss Liam Tuohy. In his own right, following two league titles at St Patrick’s Athletic, his return to FAI duty was glorious, finishing third at the U20 World Cup and claiming double Euro gold a year later with the U16 and U18s.  Treated harshly by being dispensed after one full campaign in 2005, his return is long overdue.

Stephen Rice (Analyst): Like the three other coaches, Rice represented Ireland under Kerr. 

An accomplished League of Ireland player, he’s spent most of the time since working with Crystal Palace’s underage teams but was recruited by Kenny as head scout and stepped into the breach left by John Eustace’s exit as No. 3 to boot.  Despite being part of the Kenny clearout in November, he’s since continued working in Abbotstown.

Damien Doyle (Athletic Performance Coach): Having spent six-and-a-half years at MK Dons, some alongside Keith Andrews, he was recommended to Kenny for the U21s and joined him on the senior ticket. He’s the man you’ll see organising the pre-match warm-up and training sessions, a vital component nowadays delegates to a specialist.

Rene Gilmartin (Goalkeeping coach): A former Ireland U21 goalkeeper, the Malahide man has been on the coaching circuit for the last seven years, including an assistant role at Swindon Town, but is now Kieran McKenna’s goalkeeping guru at Ipswich Town. A first senior call-up, having worked with O’Shea at U21 level.