John O’Shea will help to lead Ireland into Thursday’s World Cup playoff semi-final in Prague, knowing that reaching the biggest international tournament of them all was one of the few peaks he failed to reach during his playing career.
Now Ireland’s assistant head coach, O’Shea won almost all there was to win during a decorated club career with Manchester United, and represented Ireland at two European Championships – captaining them for much of the Euro 2016 finals.
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However, he missed out on a place in the squad for the 2002 World Cup. Remarkably, given the squads he played in and his 16-year Ireland career, another opportunity did not present itself.
When O’Shea was asked whether that was one of his biggest regrets at a press conference on Monday afternoon, his response spoke volumes.
“Lovely, hit me where it hurts!” joked O’Shea.
Listen…I’ve been very fortunate in my career, but to have represented Ireland in a World Cup would have been a dream scenario.
Touch wood, we’re not far away from, in a sense, a next best case.
It would be a remarkable achievement were O’Shea and head coach Heimir HallgrÃmsson to lead Ireland to this summer’s World Cup, and O’Shea admits he hopes to draw on his own experience to help the new generation.
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O’Shea and Collins on Prague playoff
15 August 2001; John O’Shea of Republic of Ireland during the International Friendly match between Republic of Ireland and Croatia at Lansdowne Road in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
John O’Shea may count himself unfortunate to have missed out on the squad for the 2002 World Cup, given he had already broken into the first-team setup at Manchester United.
That was the fourth international tournament Ireland had reached of the previous eight, so the Waterford man might have been forgiven for assuming another opportunity would not be too long forthcoming.
That it didn’t is a painful memory, but one O’Shea agrees could be used to spur on the current crop of Boys in Green.
These [are the] opportunities that you strive for at international level. We want the team, we want the fans and families to be able to celebrate occasions like they did in November. But that was just in a qualifying campaign.
This is the next step for a playoff final, and then what can come from that in the summer. Huge moments, like any scenario, like a cup final case, you don’t let those moments pass. The only way to enjoy it, even if you score two goals, is winning the game.
Leading Ireland into battle in Prague, like he did in November, will be captain Nathan Collins, who sat alongside O’Shea in Thursday’s press conference.
This is uncharted territory for Collins, as it is for most of this Ireland squad, but he says a newfound belief has come over the squad in recent months.
Heimir HallgrÃmsson echoed October’s near-miss in Lisbon as the push-off point for Ireland, the moment November’s 2-0 win over Portugal and heroics in Budapest were born from. It was a point echoed by Collins in Monday’s press conference.
“I think there is a belief,” Collins said.
“I think there is a strong motivation and an excitement. We all realise we can do something. I don’t think anyone thinks we are already there. If we can carry what we’ve done since those games we’ve a a really good chance to do something.”
John O’Shea played not only in the victorious playoffs of 2011 against Estonia and 2015 against Bosnia, but also the infamous 2009 playoff against France that was decided by Thierry Henry’s handball.
With two uncapped players (Bosun Lawal and first-time call-up Harvey Vale) among the relatively inexperienced 25-man Ireland squad, O’Shea agrees that this could be invaluable experience to impart upon the group.
“It’s the case of why you’re picked in the squad,” O’Shea siad.
You’re here to help the team, whatever that role may be, whether it’s a midfielder, defender, attacker, whatever it is, that the players are here to come in and help, to have that confidence that you’re picked because you’re good enough, you’re picked to come and help the team.
I think that’s the key bit, it’s very straightforward. And you give them the guidance in terms of when teams are selected, when the opposition, you know who they might be facing, you give them little details and stuff like that. But it’s that confidence that the players are here because they’re good enough.
Another area in which O’Shea may be able to guide this squad is his previous experience of playing one of the great Czech strikers, Jan Koller, back in the 2000s.
Current Czech sharp-shooter Patrik Schick, like Koller, is a tall, physical forward, who Collins will be tasked with dealing with in Prague on Thursday evening.
“I’ll have to use everyone around me,” Collins diplomatically said when the comparison was put to him.
Be that the midfield screening or the boys beside me covering.
It will be a duel but everyone will have to be involved. Not just one on one.
In a lot of games in the Premier League you are against big strikers. It is a trend now, it is challenging, but exciting at the same time.
An intriguing subplot lingering over this window is head coach Heimir HallgrÃmsson’s contract extension with the FAI through Euro 2028.
The head coach said last week that he hopes to see his Ireland assistant O’Shea extend, and there is no suggestion ahead of this World Cup playoff that O’Shea has any intention of doing otherwise.
“Hopefully it will be straightforward,” O’Shea said of any potential extension with the FAI.
“But like I mentioned it’s full focus on the week ahead and the massive games ahead. Hopefully, like I mentioned, it will be straightforward.”
Eoin Harrington reporting from Ireland camp at FAI HQ
Ireland play Czechia in the World Cup playoff semi-final at the Fortuna Arena in Prague on Thursday at 7:45pm Irish time. The game is live on RTÉ 2.
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