JOHN EGAN WILL turn 30 next month, and it goes without saying that he is now captain material for Ireland.
He wore his country’s armband at senior level for the first time last October against Azerbaijan, only discovering the decision by manager Stephen Kenny when he saw it hanging up alongside his jersey.
Last evening at Hampden Park he sat beside the Ireland boss again for pre-match duties ahead of tonight’s Nations League group game with Scotland.
Even as they prepared for the final on-pitch training session at 6pm, Egan had not yet been confirmed as skipper.
“No, that’s what happens. Every decision, whether you play or are captain, is up to the manager. We just all have to be focused in doing well in training all week to get the nod come game day.”
Egan was a safe pair of hands with the messages he was relaying, and even when some pretty dismissive criticism was brought up by a section of the Scottish media following their 3-0 defeat in Dublin in June, the Sheffield United man was not biting.
“Ireland are spectacularly limited… this was a disgrace,” was one of the headlines in a national newspaper the following morning.
The assessment continued: “A disgrace, an absolute disgrace of a performance. The kind of cowardly, disjointed shambles that lands many managers the sack.
“What a disaster it was. Against an Ireland team best described as a ‘Who’s That?’ of international football.”
When Egan was informed of the “spectacularly limited” jibe, he was quick to brush it off and return to the message of
“To be honest, that is the first I’ve heard of it, we just focus on trying to play our game. We don’t pay attention to much of media and stuff. We just want to meet up, prepare really well for the games and go out to try and win games of football.
We’re just focused on ourselves. We go into every game looking to be on the front foot and trying to get the points. We all know Scotland had a good performance the other night [3-0 against Ukraine].
“It was a good result for them but we’re just focused on ourselves. We are looking forward to the game, we’ve a lot of belief in the squad and we are rearing to go.”
The nature of that 3-0 triumph in June, with Michael Obafemi’s stunning contribution in the form of a sublime assist for Troy Parrott and sensational long-range goal, seemed even more telling about the togetherness of the players and staff given it came on the back of demoralising defeats to Armenia and Ukraine.
“It was definitely a big performance and a big result to go with it,” Egan accepted. “We had some really good performances and just got edged out like Portugal away.
“To put in that performance on the back of two defeats showed the character in the group. We went into that game under a lot of pressure and we delivered.
“We’re looking to improve every time we meet up, that’s got to be the aim for everyone, and as a team, we want to keep moving forward, keep getting better, and we’re looking to take another step forward [against Scotland].
Egan and Nathan Collins are certain to be the bedrock of Ireland’s defence, with Shane Duffy seemingly vying for a start ahead of Dara O’Shea. His reduced game-time on loan at Fulham – two 89th minute substitute appearances in the Premier League followed by 90 minutes in the EFL Cup in 23 August – is a struggle which Seamus Coleman has also had to endure this season.
The Everton defender has not featured at all in the league while he also got a full game in the cup on the same night as Duffy when the Toffees beat Fleetwood Town 1-0.
“They are in really good mood,” Egan insisted. “They are two huge players and two huge leaders for the group and when we all meet up, even though we are an international team it really feels like we’re a club team.
“We’re all really together. Everyone loves coming in and Seamus and Shane are two big characters in the group.”
Tonight will be another opportunity for Egan to show he is capable of taking on that mantle.
