Roy Keane has insisted that the players in the Republic of Ireland squad won't buckle in the face of expectation when they take to the Aviva Stadium pitch for this weekend's crucial Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland – and added: “If pressure's a problem to you, then you're in the wrong game.”
The Ireland assistant boss is no stranger to big occasions himself from his own playing days at international level, having played at the USA World Cup in 1994 with Jack Charlton's side and was captain of the Mick McCarthy team which qualified for the 2002 edition in South Korea/Japan before infamously leaving the Saipan training camp in a row over Irish preparation for the tournament.
Robbie Keane and Shay Given are the only surviving members of 2002 and since then other players have come to the fore of recent Irish football history – and former Manchester United captain Keane believes these players know what's at stake against Gordon Strachan's men on Saturday.
“We've got an experienced group of players,” Keane told media after training in Malahide on Thursday. “Robbie Keane, John O'Shea, Shay Given, Glen Whelan – vast experienced lads in the group. These lads, they've been in a load of these situations at club level and international level. They've played in tournaments and in big games at club level.
“These boys know the score, they've been around the block a few times, like Martin [O'Neill] and myself and Seamus [McDonagh] and Wally [Steve Walford] and Gupps [Steve Guppy]. We're not daft, you know, we know what's at stake. Pressure's part of the game.”
Continue reading Roy Keane's pre-match thoughts on Extratime.ie.
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