Cyrus calls on squad to qualify for skipper
CYRUS CHRISTIE says every Ireland player is determined to qualify for the World Cup as a show of respect to crocked captain Seamus Coleman.
Derby right-back Christie is the man who will replace Coleman in the Ireland starting line-up.
But even though he is getting the chance to further his career, he insists he is devastated by his friend’s sickening injury.
Christie said: “I’m gutted for Seamus.
“You don’t want to come into a team on the back of that kind of suffering.
“You don’t want that to happen to anyone.
“Seamus and I get on very well. He’s a great person off the pitch and on it he is a fantastic leader for us.
“We need all our players available and certainly we need our important ones. He is up there as one of the most valuable men we have.
“To lose him like that – to a tackle that was disgraceful – has left me in shock. It’s tough for all of us in the squad when someone breaks a leg.
“I witnessed it with George Thorne on the last day of last season.
“I wasn’t far away when he broke his leg and I wasn’t far away when Seamus broke his. There are no real words to describe it.
“Seamus is a big character in this team. He is our captain, he is our leader and hopefully he’ll recover properly and quickly.
“For that to happen to Seamus of all people is hard to take.”
Team-mate John O’Shea is also confident Ireland can qualify for the World Cup – provided they pick up three points from their June crunch clash with Austria.
If they beat the Austrians then the Sunderland man is convinced the momentum from that result will carry them to next year’s finals in Russia.
O’Shea said: “We have still managed to get good results in this campaign.
“If we get a win against Austria – and we will be going all out for it – then that puts us in a great position coming into the final laps of the race.” The leg break Coleman suffered on Friday against Wales was the worst O’Neill has seen since his former star man at Celtic, Henrik Larsson, had his leg smashed in a UEFA Cup game against Lyon in 1999. A Football Association of Ireland statement said yesterday: “Captain Seamus Coleman, who went off injured during the game, underwent surgery on Saturday morning after fracturing his right tibia and fibula, under the care of the FAI’s orthopaedic surgeon, Professor John O’Byrne and Mr Gary O’Toole, consultant orthopaedic surgeon.” Larsson’s recovery coincided with O’Neill’s arrival at Celtic Park – and after nursing the Swede back to form, the Republic boss believes Coleman can have a similarly positive reaction to the biggest crisis of his career. O’Neill said: “Seamus is such a mentally strong character who would not have got to where he has in football without having those aspects to his personality. “He will be out for the rest of the season – but it is too early to say whether he will miss the remainder of our campaign. One thing is certain – I will miss having him around. “Coleman has just been fantastic since I arrived here as Ireland manager. “His attitude has been strong but it’s not just his attitude, it’s his playing ability, his whole demeanour, the fact he’s a great captain, that makes him stand out. He was having the season of a lifetime and Everton – and us – will miss him. I was pretty shaken when I saw what happened. To say I am disappointed for the player is an understatement.
“This puts football – and results – in perspective. He certainly has the personality to fight back, though. Like Henrik Larsson – who was a brilliant player and who came back from a similar injury, Seamus will be able to do the same. I’d have great confidence he could do so.”
Confidence in Ireland’s ability to finish off the job and qualify for the Euros, though, is a different issue after Friday’s draw – combined with Austria and Serbia’s wins over Moldova and Georgia – have changed the look of Group D.
The Serbs are now top on goal difference – level on points with Ireland – and four clear of Wales and Austria.
Ireland face the Austrians in June next and know that if they win that game and follow that up with wins over minnows Georgia and Moldova, they will get a play-off spot at the very least.
But their chances of doing so have been dealt a blow by Coleman’s devastating injury. O’Neill said: “His contribution was massive to us getting to play in the Euros.
“So losing him is a big blow and I couldn’t stress how much he will be missed around the place in terms of his drive, commitment and determination.”
By a quirk of fate, the referee in charge on Friday was Italian Nicola Rizzoli, the same official who handled the PSV v Manchester United match in 2015 when Luke Shaw sustained an equally horrific leg break.