Gary Breen's first-team status was confirmed yesterday after Mick McCarthy named his team for this evening's international friendly against Paraguay at Lansdowne Road.
Faced with the task of evaluating the rival claims of Phil Babb to partner Ken Cunningham in central defence for the European Championship qualifier against Macedonia in six weeks, McCarthy had no hesitation in opting for the Coventry player.
It represents a significant vote of confidence for Breen at a time when he has only just returned to favour at Coventry after being left out of the side for much of the last three months.
The suspicion was that he was being made to pay the price of his decision to put country before club in the dispute over the release of players for the postponed game in Yugoslavia, so he had reason to feel particularly gratified by yesterday's announcement.
That sense of commitment was not, however, the dominant factor in McCarthy's decision after he had watched him produce an authoritative performance in the scoreless draw with Tottenham at White Hart Lane last Saturday.
The belief that Breen is a better ball winner in the air than Babb was undermined somewhat in the chain of events which led to Yugoslavia snatching their precious winner in Belgrade.
Breen claimed that he was the victim of a professional foul as he rose to make the straight-forward clearance. Yesterday's selection indicates that the manager believes him.
With the exception of Ian Harte, who takes over the left back position from the injured Steve Staunton, the team in action this evening will, fitness permitting, be the one to take on FYR Macedonia at Skopje next month.
The days when senior players baulked at turning up for friendly games have been consigned to history and with a near full-strength squad available, McCarthy has seized the opportunity to utilise all his resources.
"I know the squad I want, I know the team I want for the game in Macedonia and in that situation I didn't see a lot of merit in experimenting for this match," he said.
"It's a chance to work together before going to Skopje . . . I'm looking for a good performance but, most of all, I want a good win."
Mark Kinsella and Cunningham, opposing captains when Charlton beat Wimbledon on Monday evening, travelled together from London yesterday. Roy Keane's rehabilitation after a difficult period at the start of McCarthy's term of office has long since been rendered complete and in the role of captaincy he now brings to the side the qualities which have established him as one of the most influential midfielders in European club football.
It is a sign of the times, however, that it is his namesake, Robbie, who now commands most of the media's attention at Ireland get-togethers and with the vexed question of his release from Wolves to play in the World Under-20 championship in Nigeria in April continuing, he was again pursued with some zeal yesterday.
FAI chief executive Bernard O'Byrne explained at some length during the press conference why the FAI is taking such a firm stand on the issue.
It was unfair, he said, that the players or the Under-20 manager Brian Kerr should be put in the position of having to negotiate with club managers. The association is merely enforcing FIFA's statutes in insisting on the release of players like Keane, Damien Duff, Richard Dunne and Stephen McPhail.
Keane, for one, is happy with that stance. "I'm glad that the decision has been taken out of my hands. I didn't want to be seen to let anybody down. Having to get early inoculations for the trip is worrying but, hopefully, it won't be a big problem," he said.
By rule, Kerr is entitled to assemble his players 14 days before the championship starts on April 3rd. Not surprisingly, the hard question of how this might impinge on plans for the senior game in Macedonia on March 27th was ducked during the conference.
Keane is set to resume his front line partnership with Niall Quinn, a combination which continues to excite McCarthy and which should, on this occasion at least, enjoy a liberal supply of ball from Jason McAteer and Damien Duff on the flanks.
When this fixture was first proposed some time ago, the Ireland manager was attracted by the challenge of taking on the formidable South Americans. Now, overtaken by domestic events, Paraguay will field a team which bears little resemblance to that which played in France last summer.
Only Carlos Humberto Paredes and Denis Caniza survive from that side, leaving the visitors markedly short of experience at the top level. There is an argument that a team composed mainly of ambitious young players is more dangerous than a collection of seasoned internationals who might not be overly interested in a friendly game played in cold, uninviting conditions. That belief may or may not hold merit, but what is not in doubt is that the Paraguayans will not deviate from their normal game plan of deep, disciplined defence and speed on the break.
However, in the last analysis, anything other than a conclusive home win, will be a disappointment.
Team selections
Republic Of Ireland S Given - Blackburn D Irwin - Manchester Utd K Cunningham - Wimbledon G Breen - Coventry I Harte - Leeds Utd J McAteer - Blackburn Roy Keane (c) - Manchester Utd M Kinsella - Charlton D Duff - Blackburn N Quinn - Sunderland Robbie Keane - Wolves
Paraguay (Probable) - R Tavarelli; G Bernal, J Valdez, M Acusta, D Caniza, J Ortiz, E Aguilera, C Paredes capt, C Gonzales, R Roman, M Cabellero.
