BRADY NEVER IN ANY DOUBT STEPPING UP
ROBBIE Brady had no doubts when he stepped up in the 91st minute to save Ireland’s bacon at the Aviva.
This was Brady’s first Ireland start since March of last year, after his first international appearance in 18 months came off the bench in last Saturday’s Nations Cup defeat to Scotland.
His run of injuries finally cleared up and, having been told beforehand by Stephen Kenny he was on penalty duty, the Dubliner was happy to oblige.
“We hadn’t got one in years,” he dead-panned.
“I wasn’t holding my breath but we got one in the end and luckily enough, it went in.”
Standing over the ball on the penalty spot after Ireland had somehow given back a two-goal lead to an Armenian team ranked 92nd in the world, Brady said:
“I actually felt alright in the moment and luckily enough it went in.
“We got the win in the end and it would have been a shame to come out of that with a draw or a defeat after dominating most of the game.
“I was delighted to be back wearing the green jersey. It was a long 18 months off the pitch for me, it was a bit of a tough time.
“But I got myself in a decent enough place and was delighted to get on the pitch and get the win in the end tonight, although we had a mad 10 minutes.”
Calmly slotting the ball home, Brady’s celebration was a cathartic moment for all those watching from the stands for the relieved supporters — but also on a personal level.
“It’s been a difficult time for me on and off the pitch, so all that just came rushing back,” he explained.
“I’m delighted to get back into a green jersey and I think it probably got the better of me for a couple of seconds.
“I’m feeling alright, I’m not even too pleased with my overall performance.
“At times we moved the ball well but I still think
I could have been better and I don’t think it was my best game of the season so far.
“But I definitely have something to offer, I feel, and I’ll have to keep up my performance level if I want to stay involved, and I know that.”
The fact that the European Championship qualifiers get underway in March will concentrate minds over the winter.
Ireland cannot afford similar slip-ups when the real stuff starts.
“Definitely,” said Brady. “It was five or 10 minutes of madness.
“When you’re that comfortable in a game, you can’t get complacent.
“We have time to talk about it and I’m sure we’ll get videos across to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“We’ll try and eradicate the mistakes because we’re scoring goals, which is the toughest thing to do at this level.
Tweaks
“So a couple of minor tweaks to make sure silly goals don’t go in like that again.”
As for himself, Brady looks as fit as he has ever been — a minor miracle given the injury problems he has suffered the last few years.
Now 30, he clearly still has a lot to offer — at club level with Preston, and for Ireland with the Euro qualifiers six months away.
“I had a nightmare with a couple of pre-seasons, but this time I worked hard before even preseason came around,” he said.
“I was working through the summer so I felt fit, I felt strong and I knew if I got a full pre-season under my belt that I’d hit the ground running, and I got the hard yards into my legs. I’m feeling really good.”
In the midst of his run of injuries, did he ever consider knocking international football on the head to focus on getting right for the club game? “No,” he replied.
“There was never a doubt in my mind, that
I’d be back.”