Ireland play Belgium in an international friendly as John O’Shea prepares to take the national team for the first time as interim manager.
You can follow all of the news, teams, updates, press conferences and talking points from the match in our liveblog right here: (Please allow a minute for the blog to load)
O’Shea has taken the role as interim manager following the departure of Stephen Kenny last November, and the saga continues as there is still uncertainty about who will get the job on a full time basis.
Neil Lennon, Gus Poyet, Lee Carsley and Steve Bruce are but a few names that have been thrown into the mix, however the search continues and for now, the responsibility is in the hands of the former Man United star.
The ex Premier League defender has not gathered much experience in management but was recently a part of Wayne Rooney’s backroom team at Birmingham City, and of course has a rich history playing for Ireland, earning over 100 caps for his country.
It has been reported that O’Shea will not be offered the job regardless of how well he does in the upcoming international friendlies, however, things are never certain when it comes to the FAI.
Ultimately it appears that the job isn’t as attractive as it once was, and if the former Red Devil can get the best out of this young crop of players, then the next few weeks could be crucial for him and the possibility of getting the role on a permanent basis will grow in likelihood.
Related links:
- John O’Shea explains why prospect isn’t in Ireland squad amid England concerns
- Two new players included as John O’Shea names Ireland squad
- Rio Ferdinand on what made former Ireland star’s mindset so different
