Hallgrímsson seeing way forward with expanded options as Ireland prepare for Canada friendly

Hallgrimsson watched his 24-strong travelling panel get through some final workouts at Stade Saputo on Thursday morning and amid the sea of fresh faces he saw the way forward

LOOKING FORWARD: Head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson is exploring his player options for the future of Irish international football. Picture: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Place Nadia Comaneci is a square of stainless steel and concrete with the Olympic rings hanging overhead which celebrates the memory of the 1976 Montreal Games.

In block capitals on plaques around it are the names of every athlete who left this city with an Olympic medal. The engravers were never troubled to carve out the letters that make up Ireland when doing their work. This summer is the 50th anniversary of an Olympics where Ireland came, saw and didn’t leave much of an impression, Eamonn Coghlan getting close before settling for that all-too-familiar fourth.