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The Irish Sun
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Heimir Hallgrimsson promises not to ‘hang or execute anyone' for ‘boring' performance against Luxembourg
HEIMIR Hallgrimsson insists he is a lover not a slater as he spared his players an ear-bashing. The Ireland boss was hugely disappointed with his side's performance in Advertisement 2 The 58 year-old's side failed to score against Luxembourg 2 Robbie Brady was forced off due to injury in the first half But 'Whatever I would shout now would probably be gone by the next time we meet up.' He also said: 'I cannot lie, we are obviously 'It felt like steps were taken and, yeah, I think we took maybe not a step backwards but we didn't take the next step. Advertisement Read more on Irish football 'But I'm not going to hang or execute anyone for this performance. 'We were really disappointed with the first half. 'It was actually just boring, there was nothing happening in the first half.' Although Ireland hit the woodwork in both halves, they struggled to break their lowly opponents down and gave up chances at the other end. Advertisement Most read in Football Live Blog Exclusive The draw extended Ireland's unbeaten run to four games — but it was a poor way for most of the players to sign off before their summer break. Yet Hallgrimsson reckoned there was no point in reading the riot act to them at half-time or full-time because they know themselves better will be required in the World Cup qualifying campaign in the autumn. Heimir Hallgrimsson surprised with birthday gift from Ireland fans during warm-ups for Luxembourg friendly He added: 'We talked at half-time. It's not about tactics. It's not about formations. 'It was more about attitude — are you willing to do the work that's necessary? The basics that are necessary in a football game. Advertisement 'No matter who you play, no matter whether it's a competitive or a friendly game, you need to do the basics. 'You need to deliver all the work that's necessary. That was just missing, the basics. 'Credit to the players, that changed in the second half, there was more momentum, more power, more energy — still we were not happy but we didn't lose at least. 'I'm not a shouter and we didn't because everybody — and after the game as well — knew that this was not a good performance.' Advertisement Hallgrimsson should have more options to choose from in September, when the qualifiers begin with a home match against Hungary on September 6 followed by an away fixture in Armenia three days later. Veteran Séamus Coleman and Ipswich Town pair Sammie Szmodics and Chiedozie Ogbene will hope to have recovered from injuries by then. And he will also be able to call upon regulars such as Josh Cullen, Finn Azaz and Mikey Johnston who were rested on this occasion because of the long gap since the end of the Championship season. Robbie Brady was the only player from the English second tier not involved in the play-offs in the squad before Bosun Lawal's addition. Advertisement The 33-year-old limped off in Tuesday's first half but his calf injury is not thought to be serious.
Irish Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ireland 0 Luxembourg 0: How the Irish players rated
16: Max O'Leary (Bristol City) Needed a second chance to get hold of a cross in the 13th minute but just before the half-hour mark O'Leary made an impressive diving save high to his left to deny a goal-bound Sinani shot. Used his feet to block a near-post effort in the second half. A solid international debut. Rating: 7 5: Jake O'Brien (Everton) Suffered a bang to his head late on in what was an otherwise largely uneventful game for O'Brien. He tried to get up the field when Ireland were in possession but so much about this encounter felt like an end of season affair. Rating: 6 22: Nathan Collins (Brentford) Captained Ireland on the night and despite some scrappy defending by the team at times, they finished with a clean sheet. Collins went close to scoring with a first-half header but his effort hit the woodwork. Rating: 6 4: Dara O'Shea (Ipswich Town) Showed good positioning and decision-making when heading Smallbone's free back across the face of the goal for Ireland's best goalscoring chance in the first half – only for Collins to be denied by the woodwork. Rating: 6 READ MORE 11: Robbie Brady (Preston North End) He was forced off injured after just 20 minutes, a disappointing end to what was a positive season for Brady in green. Brady pulled a free short from a decent crossing position early on. Rating: 4 17: Kasey McAteer (Leicester City) Showed good endeavour early in the second half to get on the end of a goalscoring opportunity but his left-footed shot bounced wide of the right post. Was full of workrate and ambition throughout, though his finishing wasn't on point. Rating: 6 8: Jason Knight (Bristol City) He got back well to put his body in the way and make an important block on a close-range shot from Jans in the opening stages of the second half, the Luxembourg captain's shot hitting Knight and ricocheting out for a corner. Worked hard all night to try energise Ireland. Rating: 6 Ireland's Killian Phillips and Jason Knight. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 24: Killian Phillips (St Mirren, on loan from Crystal Palace) It has been a very encouraging few days for Phillips, who built on his first Ireland appearance in the draw with Senegal by earning his maiden start in this game. But like most of his team-mates, struggled to make an impact in a low-tempo contest. Rating: 5 6: Will Smallbone (Southampton) The Southampton midfielder whipped in a lovely weighted pass from a free late in the first half and it created Ireland's best scoring chance in the opening period, O'Shea nodding the ball back across the face of the goal where Collins headed against the woodwork. Rating: 6 9: Evan Ferguson (West Ham United, on loan from Brighton) He struggled to carry any real attacking threat in what was a lacklustre fixture. The Meath man was booked for a foul on Carlson, which prevented a Luxembourg breakaway midway through the second half. Ferguson was taken off with 15 minutes to go. Rating: 5 7: Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar) The Dubliner had something of a running battle with Korac and won two frees early on after the Luxembourg defender was forced to drag him down. Battled well and produced a lovely dinked finish for a goal that was correctly ruled offside in the 66th minute. Rating: 7 Subs: Ryan Manning (Southampton); Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town); Festy Ebosele (Istanbul Basaksehir); Adam Idah (Celtic); Matt Doherty (Wolves); John Patrick (Stade De Reims) Manning was busy and made a very positive impact after his introduction. Ebosele and Taylor combined to create a good goalscoring chance soon after they came off the bench. Taylor also smacked the crossbar with a rasping shot late on. Doherty made an important late interception. Rating: 7 Manager: Heimir Hallgrímsson On what was his 58th birthday, Hallgrímsson was at least able to celebrate Ireland getting through this international window unbeaten. This match will not last long in the memory but over the course of the two games he did at least get to have a look at some new players in green. Rating: 6
The 42
06-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Here's the full list of winners from this year's FAI international awards
THE WINNERS OF the 35th FAI International Awards have been confirmed — and honoured at an event in the Aviva Stadium. Robbie Brady and Kyra Carusa were the big winners, crowned Senior Men's and Women's International Player of the Year respectively. Both players were presented with their awards in camp this week, with announcements made on the FAI social media channels. Brady also claimed the International Goal of the Year award (v Finland), repeating his 2016 double. Finn Azaz and Jessie Stapleton won the Young Player of the Year awards, while Cork's Matt Healy took the Men's Under-21 prize. Irish legends Denise Irwin and Olivia O'Toole were inducted into the FAI Hall of Fame. Irwin was capped 56 times, featuring at the 1994 World Cup in USA, while O'Toole is the Ireland women's national team record goalscorer with 54 goals. Denis Irwin (file photo). Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO Broadcaster George Hamilton was the recipient of the Special Merit Award. The event took place at Lansdowne Road before tonight's international friendly between Heimir Hallgrímsson's Ireland and Senegal. The performances taken into account were from June 2024 to May 2025, while a jury from Soccer Writers' Ireland helped with the selection of certain categories. Here's a full list of winners: 35th FAI International Awards Winners Senior Men's International Player of the Year Robbie Brady Senior Women's International Player of the Year Kyra Carusa Young Men's International Player of the Year Finn Azaz Advertisement Young Women's International Player of the Year Jessie Stapleton International Goal of the Year MNT | Robbie Brady vs Finland Men's Under-21 International Player of the Year Matt Healy Men's Under-19 International Player of the Year Freddie Turley Women's Under-19 International Player of the Year Aoife Kelly Men's Under-18 International Player of the Year Kyle Fitzgerald Men's Under-17 International Player of the Year Finn Sherlock Women's Under-17 International Player of the Year Madison McGuane Boys' Under-16 International Player of the Year Niall Sullivan Girls' Under-16 International Player of the Year Keelin Comiskey Boys' Under-15 International Player of the Year Archie Quinn Girls' Under-15 Schools International Player of the Year Hailey Twomey (Eureka Secondary School, Kells) Boys' Under-18 Schools International Player of the Year Rhys Knight (Clonkeen College, Blackrock) Football For All International Player of the Year Heather Jameson (Cerebral Palsy) Amateur Player of the Year Jake Dillon (Fairview Rangers) Hall of Fame Denis Irwin Olivia O'Toole Special Merit George Hamilton. You can view the nominees here>
Irish Times
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ireland v Senegal live updates: Heimir Hallgrímsson's side face Senegal at the Aviva
International friendly: Republic of Ireland v Senegal, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm Key reads: Preview: Hallgrímsson stresses Ireland's World Cup ambitions before valuable Senegal test Double header is perfect opportunity for Ireland trio of Parrott, Idah and Ferguson to hit the target Comeback kid Robbie Brady hopes career renaissance takes him and Ireland all the way to the World Cup -8 minutes ago Senegal fans Hussein Ofai and Dior Diallo make their way to the Aviva ahead of the game. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho 8 minutes ago The good news (or bad news, depending on how you see it) is Senegal aren't in short supply of talent beyond their main man Mané. Previewing this evening's game, Gavin Cummiskey gave us a quick run through of Senegalese players whose names ought to ring a bell: 'Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye, Everton team-mates of Jake O'Brien, were a positive presence at Goodison Park last season, while Ismaïla Sarr excelled during Crystal Palace's FA Cup success, scoring twice in the semi-final win over Aston Villa. Add Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr and Nicolas Jackson, who scored 10 goals as Chelsea's primary striker, to the equation and Ireland could face a chastising 90 minutes.' Read the full preview below: [ Hallgrímsson stresses Ireland's World Cup ambitions before valuable Senegal test Opens in new window ] 12 minutes ago Fans heading to the Aviva this evening will be denied the privilege of seeing Senegal's Sadio Mané live in action. The former Liverpool (turned Bayern Munich, turned Al-Nassr) star asked to sit this one out. We won't take it personally. He's also giving the England game a miss, so at least he's not just snubbing us. 17 minutes ago Hello and welcome along to The Irish Times live blog for the Republic of Ireland 's international friendly against Senegal. Kick-off at the Aviva Stadium is at 7.45pm. We'll be keeping you up to date on all action, as well as reports, ratings and reactions from our writers after the final whistle. To get us started, here's Ireland's starting XI: STARTING XI | Ireland v Senegal First starts in a green shirt for Great to see Will Smallbone return to the starting line-up with kick-off at 7.45pm 🇮🇪 — Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) Ireland: C Kelleher, M Doherty, R Manning, D O'Shea, W Smallbone, J Knight, A Idah, R Brady, K McAteer, J Taylor, N Collins (capt). Subs: M O'Leary, J Keeley, J O'Brien, T Parrot, E Ferguson, A Omobamidele, A Moran, L Scales, F Ebosele, J Honohan, J Patrick, K Phillips.
RTÉ News
06-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Robbie Brady buoyed by Irish growth amid World Cup dreams
The renaissance of Robbie Brady's career has even taken the Dubliner a little by surprise. In 2021, his time at Burnley came to an end and there were fears that the trajectory would be only downward. The FAI provided a fitness plan before a season with Bournemouth in the Championship was hampered by injury. Preston North End took a fancy to Brady in the summer of 2022 and while the first season saw regular first-team football, he began to fade from the international picture, Stephen Kenny looking elsewhere despite Ireland's struggles. Brady could only control his own form at Deepdale, but admits it was a challenging time as he was outside the tent for the entire Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. "You have to keep a level head and keep that belief in yourself," he told RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue. "It was all about getting myself back in good shape and contention. I never stopped believing I could do that." Did he think he may have played his last game in green? "At one point I did. I think a lot of people had written me off and thought they might never see me again, and maybe a couple of times I thought that myself." With Kenny exiting the Irish hotseat, Brady's former team-mate John O'Shea was brought in to steady the ship before a permanent appointment. Brady's previous contributions in an Ireland shirt, plus his consistent form at wing-back for Preston saw his re-introduction to the international arena. A little over 12 months later and the 33-year-old has penned a new deal with Preston – a 12-month deal signed last month – and was crowned the men's senior player of the year earlier this week. Heimir Hallgrimsson has liked what he has seen, with Brady's value clear for all to see with his goal and assist in a vital 2-1 defeat of Finland last year. "I felt I had a good time last year with Ireland. I didn't expect to win it (the award), but I'm delighted I did." Brady doesn't gloss over the "sticky period" Ireland endured over the past few years, suggesting the game-management and the know-how in getting over the line was lacking. Momentum has been building following back-to-back Bulgaria wins in March, and Hallgrimsson's side have now won four of their last six matches, with a chastening night at Wembley also in the mix. Brady says the mood music in the camp – a point also made by striker Adam Idah this week – is changing. "It's the confidence each one of them has in themselves is a little different to previous years. They have a lot of belief in themselves and a lot of them are playing fantastic football at club level. "Putting a few results together and getting a bit of momentum is so important, especially at international level. "It's difficult when you're not picking up results, it's dampening for the supporters. What it means to people when we are winning, you can sense it, you can feel it. The whole mood changes, not only in the camp, but outside it." Tonight's friendly against Senegal follow by a meeting with Luxembourg are the latest games allowing Hallgrimsson find out a little more about his squad, and in particular those on the periphery of the team looking to stake claims for starting berths with September's World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Armenia on the horizon. The Icelander is bidding to lead the Boys in Green to a first World Cup since 2002. Should he manage to achieve that, a huge travelling support would be expected to flock to North America. Brady – the match-winner against Italy in Lille and an early goalscorer in the 2-1 defeat to hosts France – has happy memories of Ireland's last appearance at a major tournament at Euro 2016, and has allowed himself to think of what next summer could look like. "It's exciting thinking about it," he said. "What a lift it would give everyone, to be part of a tournament like that. We have seen in previous tournaments, the fans have travelled in mad numbers. If we could manage to quality, it would be absolutely incredible."
