Irish Under 21 international Jack Byrne was given a taste of what life is like as a senior international this week, when he was allowed train with Martin O'Neill's squad ahead of the friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia. Many are confident that the youngster - currently on loan with Cambuur in Holland - will be a regular for Ireland, none more so than the man himself:
Although I’m not in the squad, I believe in my own ability and that I’m as good as anybody in the squad.
I don’t think I’m ahead of schedule just because I’m 19. I don’t really think of it that way. I know a lot of these boys are a lot older than me but I think I can affect whatever I do on a football pitch. So it doesn’t matter what age I am.
I’m just here this week to be around and enjoy the training sessions and all that but obviously you’d want to be stupid if you didn’t want to go to the European Championship for your country. So if I don’t make this one then I’ll be aiming to make the World Cup, and if I don’t make that, I’ll be aiming to make the next one.
I’m playing in the top league in Holland. Although my team isn’t doing too well, I feel as if I’m doing quite well. If you don’t believe in yourself, who is going to believe in you.
O'Neill has been impressed by Byrne, but the manager's quotes in this morning's Sunday Independent suggest that Byrne - nor any of his under 21 colleagues - will be fast-tracked to the senior set-up in time for the Euros:
Looking at the under 21s, they definitely have a bit of work to do.
Sometiumes losing the games doesn't bother me as much as the performance of individuals. That is what I'm looking at.
Naturally, Noel King would look at it in a different light, he wants to qualify. It would be nice for them to be going to competitions but overall it is the quality of the individual performances that I am looking at.
The side has a lot of work to do individually and collectively.
O'Neill was referring to a heavy 4-1 defeat for the Irish Under-21s to Italy in Waterford, which was the side's fourth defeat on the trot, and his comments will act as a reality check for Byrne.
The frequent lamentations of a lack of talent available is one of the traits O'Neill shares with his predecessor Trapattoni. Although we feel Jack Byrne may disagree.
