Cascarino starting to see a 'glimmer of hope' in Hallgrímsson's Ireland 

Former striker feeling more positive about progress under Icelandic manager with Jake O'Brien's emergence a particular plus 

GREEN SHOOTS: Evan Ferguson of Republic of Ireland, right, celebrates with team-mate Jake O'Brien after scoring their side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League B/C Play-off 2nd Leg match between Republic of Ireland and Bulgaria at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Having previously been pessimistic about their prospects, former international striker Tony Cascarino now senses there is ‘a glimmer of hope’ that the Republic of Ireland men’s national team could be heading towards a brighter future.

From his eight games in charge of the team to date, Heimir Hallgrímsson – who was appointed as the permanent successor to Stephen Kenny last July – has guided Ireland to four wins. This includes back-to-back triumphs over Bulgaria in last month’s UEFA Nations League relegation play-offs.