Alan Browne has admitted the Republic of Ireland lack a “world-class figure” to lead them back to international football’s promised land.
A poor start to the Nations League campaign under new head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has left disappointed fans harking back to the days when the likes of Paul McGrath, Ray Houghton, Roy Keane, Shay Given and Robbie Keane starred in teams which repeatedly qualified for major tournaments.
That is something which has eluded the latest generation of Ireland players – they have not made it to the finals of major competition since Euro 2016 – and Tuesday night’s 2-0 home defeat by Greece suggests things are not going to change any time soon with trips to Finland and Greece to come next month.
Former Ireland defender Gary Breen, working as a TV pundit, voiced the opinion that the current team lacked leaders, but asked about his comments, Sunderland midfielder Browne said: “No, I think there are quite a lot of leaders in there. “I think there are quite a lot of players who have captained their club or captained their country.