O'Neill heaps praise on those returning to the international fold

The words on everybody’s lips heading into today’s announcement were Sean Maguire and the potential that Martin O’Neill would select the former Cork City hotshot.

Preston North End's new striker was duly confirmed in the 37-man provision squad – his first call-up at senior level – and he was one of four players from Deepdale to be named.

Greg Cunningham has been left in wait since 2013 due to a combination of injuries and the form of players ahead of him.

After watching the end of last season from the sidelines with a broken leg, the former Salthill Devon man has been named stand-in captain in the absence of the injured Tom Clarke.

“I have seen a lot of Preston over the last couple of years,” O'Neill told reporters at FAI HQ in Abbottstown on Monday afternoon.

“He has been picked before not come through, but a couple of my coaching staff have watched him play and they have been particularly impressed so that is good news."

Darren Randolph has departed West Ham and joined Middlesbrough in search of first team football and Keiren Westwood has another season at Sheffield Wednesday to impress.

However it was on the returning Rob Elliot that Martin O’Neill heaped praise as he makes his way back from a serious knee injury sustained in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly against Slovakia.

”It is very pleasing, I must admit, very pleasing. It is nice to see Rob. He has been out a long time with injury. He has taken his place in the Newcastle team yesterday so that is good news for us.”

Now entering the middle of August the transfer window had almost reached its conclusion with many Irish players moving clubs since the last Qualifier in June.

Aidan McGeady has moved to Sunderland, Glenn Whelan to Aston Villa and Jon Walters amongst many others and the Irish manager seemed pleased with the moves.

“I think if the moves result in them playing a bit more regularly I think that would be good news, particularly with the case of someone like Aidan who needs to play, needs to play most weeks competitively, so that is good.

“Jon Walters moved. He did not start the game Saturday. Jon is Jon and Glen has gone to Aston Villa even though he was a regular for Stoke”.

Ireland now reach the tough point in the battle for qualification to make Russia in 2018 for the World Cup.

Four games remain in the competition, Serbia, Georgia, Wales and Moldova all wait for the Republic who stand second in the table on 12 points, level with Serbia but two goals behind on goal difference, and are four clear of both Wales and Austria.

O’Neill knows how much of a test it will be.

“It is the tough end now, we have some points on the board, two games in three days, these two matches are obviously going to make ferocious inroads into the group in that sense.

“Goal difference is pretty important, I thought before than if you had a win and a draw it would be good enough but it is not, points comes first and goals after that. so that changes the way the group can end.

“Difficult matches coming, first of all we need to remain unbeaten if we can and probably have to win 3 out of 4 games.”

Injuries have plagued Martin O’Neill since taking charge in 2013 with James McCarthy, Shane Long and Republic of Ireland Captain Seamus Coleman all on the sideline still.

“I spoke to James recently and he is feeling fine, he just has not got a great deal of playing time.

“He played some part of pre-season. We have another fortnight – you never know what might materialise from that.

“Shane has a competition for places at Southampton, has been since he has gone. He has not played an awful lot of pre-season.

“I just hope he is fit. Shane is a naturally fit lad anyway so there will be less concerns, but it would be nice for a few lads to be playing a bit more regularly.”

Images surfaced at the weekend of Seamus Coleman wearing the Everton training kit at Finch Farm but Martin was very quick to quash any rumours of the captain making a return.

“I did speak to Seamus less than ten days ago, he was making very good progress that is great news if he had joined in training.

“From the conversation I had with him a few days ago, the news you have given me about him training would be a bit of a surprise.”

O'Neill will now shorten the squad down before the World Cup Qualifers away to Georgia on September 2^nd and home to Serbia on September 5^th.