Players will be too busy to be bored in camp, insists O’Neill

IRELAND manager Martin O’Neill has dismissed concerns about his players becoming bored while in camp for Euro 2016.

‘The minute we play the friendly against the Dutch (on May 27), then it’s absolutely total concentration,’ said O’Neill at a UEFA event in Paris yesterday.

‘I don’t think there will be time to get bored. You can be bored for the rest of your life — just don’t be bored for a month. I really don’t understand it. Of course, if we progress from the group, then the players will have the opportunity of seeing people.’

To relieve the monotony four years ago in Poland, the players had a golf simulator at their disposal and O’Neill (below) is open to the same facility being available to the squad at their initial training base in Fota Island, Cork or in France.

‘It (the simulator) might be a possibility when we are down in Fota so I’ll look into it. There will be a few things I’m sure they’ll ask me for. Some I’ll go for and some I’ll absolutely forbid.’

O’Neill’s primary concern as the Euros draw closer is the number of injuries in his squad. Three of his likely starters in Ireland’s opening clash with Sweden on June 13 — John O’Shea, Robbie Brady and Shane Long — were in the wars during Tuesday’ s Premier League matches.

Harry Arter also picked up a knock while Marc Wilson and potential strike option Adam Rooney have already been ruled out for the double-header of friendly matches against Switzerland and Slovakia at the end of the month.

An injury-enforced absence would be cruel on Arter. Since making his debut against England last May, injuries have interrupted his playing time and these friendlies were pinpointed as his chance to press his Euro claims.

‘As he hasn’t had that much experience of international football, testing himself against some decent opposition would be good,’ O’Neill said of the Bournemouth playmaker .

Meanwhile, veteran goalkeeper Shay Given has returned to light training as after it was revealed yesterday that the veteran Stoke keeper had undergone surgery in Qatar after suffering complications during his recovery from a twisted knee.