Ireland lack 'world-class figure' in team, says Alan Browne

Alan Browne has admitted that 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 and Roy 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. If you look at the team, there are a good few in there.

"We probably don’t have that presence, that Premier League quality player that stands out a mile from the rest like you might have had in years gone by.

"Boys are playing in the Premier League and doing quite well, but we don’t have that world-class figure that everyone looks at and thinks he is going to win us the game.

"I know Evan (Ferguson) has obviously got a bright future, but it is a lot to put on his shoulders, being so young. And at the minute, he hasn’t played a lot of football. Yes, you are probably just missing that presence rather than leadership."

Nineteen-year-old Brighton striker Ferguson is widely viewed as Ireland’s most promising prospect,