Updated at 20.30
HE MAY HAVE put the shackles on one of English football’s brightest talents, but Robbie Brady knows he still has plenty of room for improvement at left-back.
Brady was named man of the match for the manner in which he marshalled Raheem Sterling in last weekend’s friendly stalemate, earning glowing praise from Ireland boss Martin O’Neill.
“It has been a learning curve but I think I’m getting more familiar with the position every time I play in it,” Brady said after training in Malahide on Wednesday.
“I’ll be ready to go on Saturday night [against Scotland].”
Sunday’s game wasn’t Sterling’s finest hour in the English jersey — far from it — but still, Brady proved that he’s more than capable of containing a top-class threat.
The positional side of the game has been the most difficult element of his transition from winger to defender, he said, but he has plenty of willing advisers to help him out.
“I felt quite comfortable in the game. I think myself and [Aiden] McGeady worked it well defensively at times, and then James McClean when he came on as well. When you might find yourself 2v1 at times, I think we got it right.
“The defensive side of it and the positional sense, I found that you have to get your head on it quick or else mistakes happen so quickly at this level.
“With the likes of the lads playing behind me and filling me in on little tips here and there, and the position I’ve played is not too dissimilar from it, but I’ve picked up some pointers from the lads. I feel as if I’m learning every time I play there.
At this level, you’re going to be playing against top players and you find yourself at times where you need to get that right, and it can only be a split-second before someone can open you up.
“I thought we worked it well on Sunday and hopefully we can do the same.”
O’Neill stressed on Wednesday that competition between Brady and Stephen Ward for the left-back spot can only be a positive.
After a shaky showing against Poland — it was a moment of carelessness from Brady that gifted the visitors their goal — he appears to have put himself firmly in the reckoning to start against Scotland, not least because of his set-piece potential.
“[There were] a couple of mistakes earlier on and it wasn’t a great performance,” he accepted of the Poland draw.
But you’ve got to get over that and I think I’ve found myself more familiar now in that position over the last few weeks.
The Scots showed their own counter-attacking threat in the Glasgow clash last November but if the opportunity to get forward presents itself on Saturday, Brady will be ready to go.
“There are different times in the game when you’re able to get forward and different times when you have to put the reins on a little bit.
“If I do get an opportunity to go forward, I’ll be attacking it with everything I have.”
