YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU!
Fresh blood is required for Ireland rebuild and Kilbane says O’neill is man for the job
KEVIN KILBANE is convinced Martin O’neill can revamp the current Ireland team as Mick Mccarthy succeeded in doing 20 years ago.
Kilbane earned 110 caps but he was only a rookie when Robbie Keane and Damien Duff joined him in the squad for a low-key friendly away to Czech Republic.
Mark Kinsella, Rory Delap, Alan Maybury and Graham Kavanagh also got their first senior international action that March day in Olomouc as the Ireland manager (right) contended with the retirements of Andy Townsend, Paul Mcgrath and Ray Houghton.
O’neill faces a similar rebuilding exercise ahead of the UEFA Nations League campaign kicking off in September.
Gone from the group which reached the play-offs for the World Cup are Daryl Murphy and Wes Hoolohan, with fellow stalwarts
John O’shea, Jon
Walters and
Glenn Whelan expected shortly to also call time on their Ireland careers.
The Derry man has named an experimental squad for the friendly against Turkey in Antalya on March 23.
Ex-preston North End player Kilbane has seen enough of Sean Maguire featuring and scoring for his former club to be convinced he can slot straight into the starting side.
The striker made his bow against Moldova in October before suffering a serious hamstring injury but is back in the Championship banging in goals.
Killer also believes West Ham United teenager Declan Rice is worthy of elevation following his Premier League breakthrough this term.
Others such as Conor Hourihane and Matt Doherty have enjoyed productive campaigns in the Championship, giving legend Kilbane a sense of optimism about the evolution of the side.
“I wasn’t long in the Ireland squad when all the new players came in for the Czech Republic friendly in 1998 and this is a similar period,” said the 41-year-old.
“This is a good opportunity to integrate fresh faces. I wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on him but Sean possesses Robbie Keane’s knack of creating something from nothing.
“There’s a variety to his game which our other strikers don’t have.
“Shane Long, as a Premier League player, is probably still first-choice striker but Sean could partner him.
“It depends what formation Martin goes with. If he switches to three centre-backs, which he could do now Declan Rice has been called up, then that would allow us play two strikers.”