Sammie Szmodics: Patience and hard work the key for Ireland

Sammie Szmodics has prescribed a diet of hard work as the Republic of Ireland attempt to bounce back from their Nations League disappointment against England.

Ireland slipped to a 2-0 defeat by the side ranked fourth in the world by FIFA in their League B2 opener on Saturday evening, launching new boss Heimir Hallgrimsson's reign with the kind of result which characterised much of predecessor Stephen Kenny’s tenure.

However, Szmodics is confident that no side will work harder than he and his team-mates will as they attempt to right the wrongs against Greece in Dublin on Tuesday evening.

The Ipswich forward said: "England are a good team, but so are we. We have to play with more belief. We are a good team. And we are an honest team.

"No-one will work harder than us – and that is a guarantee. On the ball, we have to get a bit better and get used to how this manager wants to play.

"Now it is all about sticking together and putting it right Tuesday."

Hallgrimsson, who was appointed in July, had only a matter of days to work with his players before the England game, and relied heavily on information from assistant head coach John O’Shea and assistant coach Paddy McCarthy.

He knows it will take time to instil his own ideas, and for the players to get used to his methods.

Szmodics said: "We had a lot of information to take in from the new manager. It was the first time a lot of us had met the new manager, but he has been brilliant with us and has made it very clear what he wants.

"It maybe takes a bit of time to gel. This result is very tough to take now but we have two days to recover and then we have to go into the Greece game with the need to get a win."

Greece – who are ranked 54th, four places above Ireland – beat Kenny’s team home