It should be noted that Séamus Coleman was sitting beside John O’Shea when the Irish skipper endorsed the interim head coach for the job on a full-time basis before England come to Dublin on September 7th.
“The way he has been around the hotel and with the younger players, the preparation behind the scenes with the manager and all the staff,” said Coleman, “he really cares for his country.
“We have seen that many times as a player and how many times he played and turned up all the time. We can all see how proud he is to be in the position and as players we will do everything we can at all times to win for Ireland, no matter what, but the man beside me is fit for the job as anyone else. I can’t speak highly enough of him as a man but also as a coach and now in how he manages the group.”
Germanijak, the Croatian newspaper, has published a story about Slaven Bilić being offered the Ireland manager’s position by the FAI while stating he is more likely to choose a second stint at Turkish club Beşiktaş over the “peaceful life” of international management.
“The [FAI] offer is on the table,” the article read. “Slaven still hasn’t said yes or no, but the Irish are willing to wait as long as it takes.”
It was put to Coleman that the next Irish manager, if he is hired after Euro 2024, will struggle to prepare for a Nations League campaign against England, Finland and Greece.
“Listen, it’s a funny bubble we’re in, in this job. At club level I have been through I don’t know how many managers at Everton in the last seven or eight years. We have a way of adapting to things and while it’s not ideal, in these games if we can get results and help the manager here, if not all that stuff is out of my hands.
“Any time I put on the green shirt or the lads put on the green shirt, as much as you do it for managers, you have that pride in yourself, that inner determination and that passion for your country you will always do all you can to prepare for them games and win them games. We will see where that brings us but as of now we are focused on Hungary and Portugal and hopefully the manager can get a couple of results in them games.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
