Huge respect for O'Shea as he adds a brick or two to the rebuild

It’s worth noting that a whole bunch of the players in this squad have similar experiences in terms of working with John O’Shea.

HIS OWN STAMP: John O'Shea made a decent fist of maintaining the place while adding a brick or two of his own. Pic: Tim Markland

Saturday night was just the start of something for Sammie Szmodics. For John O’Shea it was … what exactly? A caretaker role and an ambition realised, obviously, but it was more than that again. It was an audition.

Tasked with holding the fort while the FAI procrastinates between the Kenny era and whatever new dawn comes with the announcement of his successor next month, O’Shea made a decent fist of maintaining the place while adding a brick or two of his own.