Bosun Lawal looked up to Robbie Brady more than Beckenbauer

Lawal was compared to the German Kaiser after a pre-season friendly for Stoke City and it was his club manager at The Potteries, one-time Manchester United striker Mark Robins, who delivered the killer line

Bosun Lawal during a media conference at the FAI National Training Centre. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Bosun Lawal was compared to Franz Beckenbauer earlier this summer but the Republic of Ireland player had eyes for players closer to home when it came to people he wanted to emulate.

“There's no player I modelled myself on but there's players I looked up to, like Robbie Keane,” Lawal said on Tuesday. “I enjoyed watching him play, [and] others. Even Robbie Brady when he used to play, still does obviously, I just enjoyed watching them play.”