Jack Byrne is a player many fans would want to see given a run-out in Martin O’Neill’s Ireland team.
And when you watch a friendly like Friday night’s less-than-thrilling 1-0 win over Switzerland it’s hard to argue the case for senior international football – or senior international friendlies at least– being on some exalted level, beyond the ability of all but the very elite.
Jack Byrne had trained with the senior squad all week but when it came to the crunch – and despite a number of withdrawals in the midfield area – the Manchester City player (on loan at Dutch side SC Cambuur) returned to play for the Ireland U21s against Italy on Thursday night in Waterford.
#IrlU21's @Jackb_8 doing his best to impress a watching Martin O'Neill! #Euro2017 https://t.co/noO4imJ2AE
— eir Sport (@eirSport) March 24, 2016
Had Byrne been given a 15-minute cameo at the Aviva he would, at the very least, have got the crowd going on an otherwise very flat occasion against the Swiss.
But for now Byrne’s place is with the Under-21s and, judging by O’Neill’s comments after Friday’s game, that’s where he’s going to stay.
“The [Under-21] side has a lot to do individually and collectively,” said O’Neill, who had travelled to Waterford to watch the 4-1 defeat by the Italians.
As the most high-profile “individual” in that side Byrne would still have a lot of learning to do, at least in the senior manager’s eyes.
