Player ratings: Sammie Szmodics shines on positive debut

The Republic of Ireland played out an entertaining nil-all draw with world No 4-ranked Belgium at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

Here's how we rated the players.

Caoimhin Kelleher 6 – Passed the ball out with authoity and control while Belgium pressed high into the final third. A solid performance from a goalkeeper who only made one 'real' save during the 90 minutes - a terrific stop to deny Thomas Meunier in the 76th minute.

Seamus Coleman 6 – The Donegal native slotted back into life with the national team with ease. He commanded the right wing and was fearless in every challenge. It was like Coleman never had an injury layoff given his innate understanding of how Ireland play and work.

Dara O’Shea 6 – The defender was tidy in and out of possession, and he won Ireland a penalty during the first half. Players like O’Shea don’t have to do something special to garner praise, just their job to the best of their ability.

Andrew Omobamidele 5 – An unassuming night by the defender. He did what he was told but nothing spectacular during his time on the pitch.

Nathan Collins 7 – The defender was positioned at the heart of the back three and he marshalled those around him like an international veteran. He was loud, first to every ball, and disciplined. It was a mature performance by the centre-back.

Josh Cullen 7 – The most thankless job in the pitch can often be just sitting in front of the defence. The exact position needs someone with an ability to read the game, cover space, tackle, and pass the ball. Cullen displayed each one of those attributes during his time on the field.

Will Smallbone 8 – The Under-21 graduate was moved back and told to play as a box-to-box midfielder, with Sammie Szmodics operating in his preferred