New role fuels Ryan Manning's 'massive' Ireland ambitions

Galway has some talented footballing families and it is a measure of one that Ryan Manning reckons brother Ronan is a better player.

Ryan has starred for Swansea City in the Championship of late, scoring a screamer to beat Preston before shackling Charlie Austin in a scoreless draw at QPR. Ronan has barely played in over a year since joining John Caulfield's Galway United in the League of Ireland First Division, having suffered a cruciate ligament knee injury at training in May.

One is desperate to play for Ireland; the other is desperate to play. "At least he's fully training again," the elder brother, 25, tells RTE Sport from South Wales.

"I speak to him every day, playing Playstation together. I haven’t seen as much of him as on previous international breaks, as I’ve been involved with Ireland. I think there are similarities but football-wise, as much as I wouldn't like to say it, he's the better one of the two. Talent-wise he had all the tricks and all the touches but he's been very, very unlucky with injuries."

Manning’s return to Loftus Road on Tuesday provided a rare opportunity for Irish fans to see a player who left Galway as a number ten but is now revelling at left-center-back in a Swansea side that is belatedly hitting form after a Christmas slump. His exit from London was not especially amicable but the local fans’ ire – and that of Charlie Austin – may have had more to do with how well Manning was playing.

"My performance on Tuesday goes back to the staff. The way they coach to defend is a little bit different to what you were taught growing up or over the years. A lot of the stuff we do is to frustrate the people we are playing against. Charlie got a bit frustrated but as long as we kept a clean sheet it gave