Ireland gear for Rice reunion with no handbrake on Ferguson

John O'Shea, right, and Declan Rice during Republic of Ireland training in June 2018. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

John O’Shea and Declan Rice share the distinction of their Ireland career ending on the same day but the centurion won’t allow the English convert to steal his thunder again.

A June friendly against USA back in 2018 was billed as a generational shift, the experienced O’Shea bowing out in the knowledge that his teen successor was solidifying Ireland’s core.

“A future Ireland captain, a player capable of winning 100 caps,” acclaimed the Waterfordman in passing on the torch.

Both projections for Rice were accurate, though in the colours of England. He’s worn the armband and at 25, carrying first-choice status, is well on track for the century.

His 59th cap on Saturday at Lansdowne Road, where he reaffirmed his commitment to the Irish cause that balmy evening six years ago against the Americans, will be dominated by the frosty reception reserved for himself and fellow defector Jack Grealish. Only the latter absconded without lining out for the senior team.

Another rising star sections of the English media were claiming rights over will share the stage.

Barry Ferguson met his wife Sarah while playing for Coventry City but, despite opportunism and downright mischief from some commentators, there was never an allegiance dilemma for their son from Bettystown to agonise over.

Ferguson is to Irish fans what Rice and Grealish were, a great hope amongst a middling squad.

His Premier League hat-trick for Brighton and Hove Albion 12 months ago this week elevated him to £70m valuation territory but he has since been dogged by injury.

Improbably, his first minutes on the pitch since March are shaping up to be the weekend derby.

His club haven’t imposed any restriction on his exposure during this window, which concludes against Greece next Tuesday, and O’Shea indicated their striker will be unleashed.

“When a player comes to be selected for the national team, they are available for the games - whether that’s 180 or zero minutes,” emphasised O’Shea, assistant manager to new boss Heimir Hallgrimsson.

“Evan will be ready for Saturday. He's had a couple of full sessions with us this week, showing he’s nice and sharp in training.

“He's not been back long after being out for a few months but he's young enough and he's ready.

“We're also realistic to know that he's just back in from a couple of weeks of training.

“There are always conversations going on in the background, whether it's medical teams etc between us and clubs or different people.

“It's always a case of when a player becomes available and is selected for a team then you're in control, you have to take care of that player and be responsible for that.

“We've to get the balance right. Hopefully his sharpness continues over the next couple of days and we’ll make a decision later on in the week.” 

Evan Ferguson during Ireland squad training. Picture: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

One criticism O’Shea shipped during his decorated career at Manchester United was a perception of niceness.

He combined the art of respect and authority when asked about Rice’s presence, a firmness he asserts forms part of the Icelander's character too.

“It’s full focus on the players who want to be here,” he deadpanned. “Declan’s not here, he’s in the England squad so we can’t keep talking about it.”

Asked if he had seen the angry side of Hallgrimsson during this honeymoon period, O’Shea offered a summation of the man whose offer to revert to No 2 following his caretaker spell was accepted in Waterford last month.

“He's a cool character in how he goes about things and wants to impress his personality on the team,” he stressed about the former Iceland and Jamaica manager.

“But you can tell that there is a steeliness behind it and how he wants to get his ideas across.

“His messages are very clear and you can see the intensity in his voice when he's on the training pitch.

“If a player is not doing the role, he soon lets them know.

“You don't qualify for major tournaments and be successful with teams by not having a steeliness about you.” 

He offered a similar appraisal of another former teammate now in the England camp – interim boss Lee Carsley. O'Shea must help Ireland curb the threat of a team still glistening with attacking prowess despite the injury-enforced absences of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and recent Euros bolter Ollie Watkins.

“We’re starting to calculate what you need to stay in the group, can you advance and get more Fifa qualification points etc for the World Cup draw,” explained O’Shea about the outlook for this mini-group completed by Finland.

“A huge part is being defensively solid as a team, keeping clean sheets to give yourself every chance.

“Then we’ve to punish teams, get crosses in the box, put teams under pressure, being a ruthless, efficient, compact unit and that’s not just a defence.

“Yes, we’ve to make it uncomfortable for England, but also know then, at the right time, giving the players the ammunition to mix it up. That’s because you must remember that if a team is being very aggressive against you, and wants to be aggressive, you don’t want to play into that as well.

“There’s lot of ways to win games.” 

Crack that and O’Shea’s Ireland leap a step closer to banishing the Rice regrets.