The FAI yesterday announced that Stephen Kenny had penned a new contract that will see him in charge of the team until at least the end of the Euro 2024 campaign.
The deal had been mooted for a number of months, although there was some delay in ironing out its finer details. The backroom team including the likes of Keith Andrews and Dean Kiely have also had their tenures extended, with a replacement for the recently departed Anthony Barry to be announced in due course.
It will end any uncertainty around the medium-term future of this team, who showed some major improvements over the second course of 2021. With a number of young players now integrated into the side and playing an attractive style, big things will be expected from this group moving forward.
That is something that Stephen Kenny himself acknowledges. Having admitted that he used the most recent campaign as a time to blood new players for the future, the time to achieve results has quickly arrived.
Stephen Kenny admits Ireland's experimental phase is now over
Speaking at the press conference to announce his new contract this afternoon, the Ireland boss said the time for experimenting with this team is now over and he is hopeful that positive results on the pitch will follow.
We have rebuilt the team over the last while, we've seen that. The supporters have really connected with the team.
It has been a radical change. We have brought through 15 players through our own system over the last year or so, that's quite a radical shift.
There are players who have come through the underage system from clubs right around Ireland and into our senior international team. The supporters are identifying with the players and team are playing a style that they can be excited by, they are looking forward to going to games.
We know we will have a lot of improving to do. We want to continue to improve and we have big tests ahead...
I understand and accept that there is criticism, that is part of international management. It hasn't been straightforward of course, we've had to come through a difficult period.
It's very clear now, we can just focus on getting the team ready for the friendlies and Nations League. We're not looking to overly experiment anymore. We know what we have now.
There is a great connection between the experienced players in the squad, who are brilliant professionals and role models for the younger players that have come in. There is a great spirit in the squad, you could feel that over the last ten games in particular.
We played better in some matches than other, but you can feel it growing. I feel we're going to get better again.
There are a couple of tangible goals for Ireland to aim towards over the next couple of years.
Stephen Kenny has previously admitted that his team will aim to win their UEFA Nations League group, which features Scotland, Ukraine, and Armenia. That competition will get underway in June.
While the qualification campaign will not get begin until next year, Euro 2024 in Germany will be the big target for this team.
Stephen Kenny admitted that returning to take part in the Euros in the country that Ireland first featured in the event is his main goal over the course of his renewed contract.
The ambition is to go to Germany and qualify for the European Championships.
That is the big dream, to go back to where Ireland started in the European Championships (in 1988). We want to go back to Germany, whether it is in Stuttgart or wherever it is.
The big dream is for Ireland to qualify for the European Championships, no stone will be left unturned in attempting to do that. We have to try and achieve that and do everything we can to try and get there with this team.
They are all at different stages of their career. We have players who maybe it will be their last opportunity to get to the Europeans Championships, and we have some who have their whole careers ahead of them and want to make their mark in international football.
Considering that 24 teams will qualify for the tournament, reaching Euro 2024 has to be the goal for Stephen Kenny and this group.
After going through some massive pain in order to get the team to this point and with almost half of UEFA nations qualifying for the event, questions will be asked if such a milestone cannot be achieved.
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