Adam Idah made his return to the Ireland fold on Monday night, and gave a good showing off the bench in the closing stages of Ireland's tight defeat to France at the Aviva Stadium.
Idah did well to put the pressure on the impressive French defence, as Ireland battled for the goal that would have snatched a point.
Ultimately, it was not to be, but there are plenty of positives to take out of the performance, and Idah himself will have plenty of reason to be satisfied with what he offered on the night.
Nonetheless, his post-match comments to the media proved that there are far more important things in the world of sport than success on the pitch.
The abhorrent recent abuse suffered online by the Ireland U15s stunned the footballing world, and brought universal condemnation. There has been plenty of well-earned praise for the youngsters, who wanted nothing more than to do their country proud and suffered shocking racist abuse as a result.
Speaking after the senior team's game against France this week, Adam Idah sent a powerful message to the U15 team, telling them to believe in their dream of representing their country, and to focus on their own brilliance, saying that each and every member of that team could be proud to call themselves Irish.
Adam Idah hits out at online abuse
Adam Idah spoke to the Irish media after Ireland's loss to France, and revealed that he no longer actively used Twitter due to the abuse he has suffered in the past on the platform. He said that removing himself from the platform was the "best thing" for him and his family, due to the toll that the comments from 'fans' would have on them.
27 March 2023; Adam Idah of Republic of Ireland in action against Ibrahima Konaté of France during the UEFA EURO 2024 Championship Qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and France at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
So Idah can understand the awful abuse suffered by Ireland's youth team in recent days. Idah sent a message of support to the U15s team, saying they were "more than welcome" to fight and play for the Irish crest, and could be proud of their identity:
It's not a nice thing to see or hear, it's an awful thing. I've experienced it myself and it's not nice for those lads.
Under-15s is such a young age, it's outrageous. You can see in the first team there is so much diversity in the team at the moment - anyone and everyone has a chance to play for this country. No matter where you are from or who you are, you always have that chance.
All I can say to those young lads is to keep their heads up, don't listen to what anyone says, focus on themselves and one day they could be in this team as well.
The lads know themselves they are Irish, no matter what colour skin you are or what religion you are - if you feel like you have the Irish in you, of course. We are all here to welcome whoever. If you want to play for this badge, then you are more than welcome.
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