PRESTON DUO TO CALL THE SHOTS

SEAN MAGUIRE believes his Preston partnership with Callum Robinson can work for Ireland too. Maguire and Robinson, above, have dovetailed in a front three for the Championship club.

And the Kilkennyborn marksman would love to see their understanding trialled at international level, now that his club colleague won his first Ireland caps last month.

“I set him up at the weekend for a goal, I kind of killed myself – I should have gone with it myself,” joked Maguire, right. “He’s been flying, Robbo. Towards the end of last year he scored a lot of important goals and we just missed out on the playoffs. This year he has been our best player.

“He was probably our best player against Wales. It was a tough night for him against a good Wales team with a new manager and everybody trying to impress. I thought Aiden (O’brien) was brilliant against Poland and he scored as well.

“I feel that Robbo when I went to Preston was more of a winger but he’s developed himself into a No9 now, and that’s down to the gaffer in Preston and I think we work well.

“I played on the wing at Preston and he’s played on the wing, and both of us can do a job as a

No9.

“If anyone has looked at the games where we have started together, we have interchanged all the time and we can develop as a partnership with club and country.”