ROBBIE BRADY WILL be the first to admit that he didn’t have his best game in a green jersey when Ireland last played a competitive match.
The Dubliner started at left full-back for the Euro 2016 qualifier with Poland back in March and was at fault for Sławomir Peszko’s first half goal in the 1-1 draw. For a player who is still learning his trade in that position, the mistake will have knocked his confidence but Brady has since shown admirable character.
Hull City may have been relegated from the Premier League but Brady was a stand-out performer during the final weeks of the season. Today, he was tasked with keeping one of England’s most promising young players quiet.
11 minutes in, Brady timed a wholehearted challenge perfectly and Raheem Sterling on the ground. While it wasn’t to be the Liverpool attacker’s day (he was substituted after 66 minutes), his marker was named the official man-of-the-match.
“He’s always tough to play against and you see week-in week-out that he is a top, top player,” Brady said of Sterling. “You’ve got to be switched on every minute of the game and I quite enjoyed the challenge today and hopefully it puts us in stead for next week.”
He appears to be growing into the role and credited his fellow defenders with helping him make the adjustment.
“With the likes of John O’Shea, Mark Wilson and Paul McShane beside you, it makes it a hell of a lot easier with them behind you. It has been a big help,” he said.
Brady, who remains committed to Hull despite reports this week that he could be set for a move away, is now in pole position to hold onto the place at left full-back for the visit of Scotland on Saturday — where it’s win-or-bust.
“It’s a massive game and there is no doubt about it,” he added. “We’ll all be looking forward to it. We got a decent result but we know what the important one is coming up. It will be no-holds-barred so we’ll be looking to impress and go do the job.”
