Patrick Vieira pays Man City’s Irish starlet Jack Byrne the highest compliment possible

Two peas in a crazy pod.

Robbie Keane’s best ever Irish XI of past and present teammates highlighted the nation’s dearth of top-class centre midfielders over the past 20 years.

The easiest call was for Roy Keane to take up one of the slots. The Irish captain then mulled over Mark Kinsella, Matt Holland and Lee Carsley before choosing Kinsella.

James McCarthy, Glenn Whelan and Darron Gibson did not come into it.

It is no surprise, then, that hopes are high for Manchester City midfield prospect Jack Byrne.

Those hopes have been boosted after former Arsenal and France midfielder Patrick Vieira spoke about Byrne in glowing terms.

Vieira’s Manchester City development squad lost 3-2 to St Patrick’s, on Wednesday. Post-match, the ex-bossman of the Gunners midfield addressed queries on Byrne and his footballing future.

‘The only way to compare Jack and Roy is that they are both nuts,’ he told reporters.

‘That can help, especially when you’re Irish. You have to have it, as we’re in a world of competition and the desire and personality will make a difference.’

Vieira added, ‘Sometimes people get it wrong between having a personality and being stupid and cocky. But Jack Byrne has personality. I don’t know any top quality player who doesn’t have that. It’s part of his character and I’ve never had any issues with him. I love him more than anything else.’

Byrne signed a new, senior contract with City, earlier in the summer, before he was sent on a season-long loan deal to SC Cambuur in The Netherlands.

‘It was time for him to play ‘man’ football,’ Vieira declared. ‘Holland was the best option and we decided together that it was a really good step for him.

‘If you want to play direct, Jack will be useless but if you want to keep the ball on the floor, and you need someone really creative, Jack will be the player who can do that.’

Hat-tip: Irish Examiner

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