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6 candidates to take over as Ireland captain while Seamus Coleman recovers

The identity of the Boys in Green’s skipper for the remainder of the World Cup qualifying campaign has yet to be confirmed.

1. Robbie Brady

Robbie Brady dejected Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

MARTIN O’NEILL CLARIFIED that Robbie Brady was not necessarily his permanent choice as captain after handing him the armband for the game against Iceland during the week, but it is certainly an option that cannot be ruled out. The current senior player of the year has become an integral part of the Irish side and he was badly missed due to suspension against Wales. At 25, Brady is one of the less experienced members of the squad, but the Dubliner has made a habit of defying doubters in recent months.

2. John O’Shea

John O'Shea Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

O’Shea had been captain for the majority of O’Neill’s reign until he was dropped for the Italy game last summer and Coleman took the reigns from there. Whether the Sunderland centre-back remains in the team when Shane Duffy and Ciaran Clark recover from injury is uncertain. Nevertheless, the Waterford native is a natural leader who wouldn’t have much difficulty in reacquainting himself with the captaincy, which he would have reluctantly given up in the first place.

3. James McClean

James McClean and Aron Einar Gunnarsson Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Would definitely be one of the more audacious choices as captain, with some people still questioning the Derry native’s temperament and tendency to get carried away at times — even the fact that it was a friendly on Tuesday did not stop him making one crunching challenge. Nevertheless, McClean has grown considerably in the past 12 months, from someone on the periphery of the team to an automatic starter. There has arguably been no player more important in Ireland’s World Cup qualifying campaign and awarding him with the captaincy would be a reward for his phenomenal commitment and improvement of late.

4. Jon Walters

Republic of Ireland v Wales - 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying - Group D - Aviva Stadium Niall Carson Niall Carson

One of the most popular members of the squad, Walters would be a solid choice as captain, having established himself as a key player since Martin O’Neill took over, particularly during the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign when he scored a number of vital goals. He will be 34 next September and is unlikely to hang around for another campaign after the World Cup, so leading the team out would represent a fitting final chapter to a stellar career at international level.

5. Glenn Whelan

Glenn Whelan Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Whelan would be a solid if somewhat conservative choice. One of the squad’s most experienced members, of the players currently available to Martin O’Neill, only John O’Shea (118) and Aiden McGeady (88) have more caps compared with the 80 appearances the Stoke midfielder has accrued. That said, at 33, he lacks the energy of old, and is no longer a guaranteed starter as he was before.

6. Darren Randolph

Darren Randolph during the warm up Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

An unassuming and quite laidback character, Randolph wouldn’t be an obvious choice of captain but then neither was Coleman. The goalkeeper has been in good form for both Ireland and West Ham, playing as well as any Irish player in the Premier League this season, and he is unlikely to surrender the number one jersey for club or country anytime soon.

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