'Roy Keane called you a spoofer' - Keith Andrews meets the press

Keith Andrews stood in for Stephen Kenny at the pre-match press conference for the Lithuania game, and the assistant manager made it all the way to the penultimate question of the extended media session before one of his predecessors’ names was mentioned.

The former Blackburn Rovers midfielder was named as assistant manager when Kenny took over the national team, having worked with him already with the Under-21s, and Andrews has remained a constant member of the backroom staff, while coaches like Damien Duff, Anthony Barry and Alan Kelly have come and gone throughout the last 18 months.

Andrews admitted that he did not know the new manager very well, but once it was suggested that they meet for coffee, they struck up an immediate bond, chatting about football for four hours on that first occasion.

The former Ireland international, who played for his country during the Giovanni Trapattoni era, said that his footballing philosophy was very similar to the current manager’s outlook on the game, and while he pondered that he would have enjoyed playing under Kenny if he’d got the chance as a player, he admitted that he might not have been picked.

"So, no, it didn't affect me. When you go into a new job, players pretty quickly suss you out, if you are not up to the level."

Andrews spoke from the heart at the media briefing, appearing open, honest and insightful, offering a rare look into how the manager was feeling throughout the tough days early in the regime, most notably on the night that Ireland lost to Luxembourg in Dublin.

"Not as good as we're feeling now, funnily enough," said Andrews, when asked how Kenny and himself were feeling after the Luxembourg game. "And they were tough times, there's no doubt about it.

"You look back