Ireland have ability to take game to Belgium - Kenny

Stephen Kenny has vowed to take the game to Belgium as the Republic of Ireland face the number one-ranked side in the world at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Ireland manager remains undaunted by the reputation of Roberto Martinez's side, who travel to Dublin missing some key players, yet with a squad packed full of top-level players.

Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne has not travelled with the Belgium squad, while Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois are also missing, however, Martinez’s travelling contingent is still largely made up of players from the top leagues in European football.

Kenny’s Ireland squad have slowly but surely been building up a reputation of their own over the past six months, and despite that rocky start to his tenure as national team manager, the former Dundalk boss appears to have the full support of the players, the supporters, and finally the FAI who recently extended his contract to the European Championships in 2024.

Ireland have gone six unbeaten since that devastating and heart-breaking last-gasp defeat to a Cristiano Ronaldo brace at the start of September, and in the meantime, Kenny’s side matched World Cup-bound Serbia at Lansdowne Road, before securing a well-earned draw with Portugal in the return fixture.

And Kenny, no doubt, is treating the Belgium game in the same vein as the recent fixtures against the aforementioned big hitters, and will again look to impose his own style on the game, rather that allow Belgium to dictate.

"We’re not playing the game to contain and nick something on the break, or try and get a set-piece, or play a low block," said Kenny, speaking at the pre-game press conference.

"I’m just not going to do that. We’ve got good