Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ITALY GOAL WAS A DREAM BUT I WANT TO MAKE MORE MEMORIES! AVIVA STADIUM
ROBBIE BRADY is determined to make even more memories in an Ireland shirt now that he is back on script.
The midfielder is a member of a select group of Irish players who will forever be remembered for their iconic goals in green. Think Ray Houghton putting the ball in the English net, Houghton again at Giants Stadium, Ronnie Whelan against the USSR and Robbie Keane in Ibaraki.
Think Jason Mcateer against the Dutch, Alan Mcloughlin at Windsor Park, Niall Quinn in Palermo and Shane Long flooring the Germans. Brady joined them at Euro 2016 when heading home Ireland’s famous winner against Italy in Lille (right).
And three years ago yesterday, his giddy face pierced the dense fog in Zenica when gifting Ireland a precious away goal in the Euro play-off against Bosnia (left).
Now, a year on from his last appearance for Ireland – on that ill-fated night against Denmark – fit-again Brady wants to make up for lost time.
Itching to play his part against Northern Ireland tomorrow, Brady said: “I don’t want to stop there [Lille] although nothing major has happened since then.
“You’ve always got to try create new memories. New lads have come in and hopefully we can all chip in.
“I’ve missed out on quite a few caps over the years with little niggles and injuries. That’s annoying in itself.
But when you’re completely sidelined for the year, it’s disappointing.
“Walking out at the Aviva is always special. I’m desperate to get back to it, I’m desperate to play there and then play in Denmark. “It’s been a long time coming. I’m really looking forward to it.” Brady is adamant that at no stage during his year out did he fear returning to a new management team with Ireland. While Martin O’neill has shipped flak for the Danish defeat and a disappointing 2018, he is still responsible for some of the alltime standout results in Irish football. Brady added: “A few of the lads were talking about James Mcclean’s goal in Austria and that’s a couple of years ago now.
“Then the qualifier with
Bosnia was a year before that again, three years ago today, I don’t know where those three years have gone.”
Familiar faces like John O’shea, Wes Hoolahan and Daryl Murphy have all retired from international duty while he was sidelined. Glenn Whelan will soon follow them.
Rebuilding has been slow as results have shown with just one win in the last nine, stretching back to the World Cup play-off.
But O’neill is convinced the outlook will be brighter with crocked players like Brady back in the fold – and the 26-year-old is ready to take charge with Euro 2020 looming.
“The familiar faces are gone and a rebuilding stage has gone on from the start of the year,” he said.
“I’m that little bit older now and hopefully wiser, so I can help these young lads coming in and some of them have great ability.”
Brady has made just three Burnley appearances this season – all of them in the last fortnight since rupturing his patella tendon against Leicester last December.
And reflecting on his recovery, he admits the mental battle was always more difficult than the physical one.
“It’s a bigger challenge,” he said. “You get your head around the physical side of things after a couple of months.
“But when you’re in the gym on your own day in and day out, it gets that little bit lonely. You don’t get to mingle with the lads that much.
“The mind plays tricks on you all the time. If you have a bad day, you have a bad day. There were a few along the way but have to try stay positive.
“I was laid up over Christmas, which had its perks! But it was also difficult, hobbling around on crutches and trying to open presents.
“Christmas was a bit of a standstill for me.
“You forget how much you need your knee until you can’t bend it at all but everyone around me was helpful.”