JOHN O’SHEA has warned his Ireland team that they will have their work cut out to stop record-chaser Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was not involved in Portugal’s game against Finland on Tuesday and started on the bench against Croatia yesterday evening.
But he is expected to start against Ireland tomorrow in what could be his last game on home soil if his international career ends after Euro 2024.
O’Shea knows the superstar better than most, playing alongside him at Manchester United for XXXX years.
And he said he was not surprised to see him reinvent himself as a striker having started out as a tricky winger.
O’Shea joked: “It’s great to see him come back into the squad nice and refreshed, they gave him a few days off after his season!
“But it’s straightforward, it’s incredible what he’s still doing, you talk about application and the levels you want from every player.
“Understanding what you can do and what he has done in his career, maintained his level, still be involved in the national team and to be still planning on having a major impact at a tournament is great to see.
“They gave him a couple more days preparation and he will be ready for Tuesday, we will see, a couple of staff – Pete Shuttleworth and Stephen Rice – have gone down to watch the game against Croatia, we will have eyes on that.
“He was always going to become that centre-forward style. I think even just before he left United, he went from the winger, especially for the European games.
“The manager trusted him to be that central striker because he was so powerful, those explosive runs and we were able to get other players around him to be able.
“You can see his movement still.”
CLASS CRISTIANO
Ronaldo became the all-time top international scorer with a late brace against Ireland in Faro in September 2021 as Portugal came from 1-0 down to win. He has since scored a further XXXX goals.
O’She said: “Look, obviously we know him from a couple of years ago too, the goals he got, his aerial ability is something we’re going to have to keep an eye on too.
“It will be a great learning curve for whoever plays against him because he waits offside, he comes in and joins in the play late on.
“It’s just the experience he’s gained over however many years, at the clubs he’s been at, the success he’s had.
“He’s marketed himself brilliantly in terms of what he’s wanted to do but ultimately it’s what he’s been doing on the pitch still.
“His preparation and detail is second to none.
“I’m sure Portugal have a few younger players ready to come knocking on the door too but Ronaldo has shown them the way.
“He wants records as well. He’s selfish in terms of what he wants, whether it’s highest goals in the year, highest international goals, whatever.
“He has that many records at the minute, it’s hard to know what he’s looking for next but, hopefully, we’ll be able to keep him quiet on Tuesday.
“It will be great to see him in the flesh again.”
CANNON CAP
O’Shea confirmed that he is likely to give Tom Cannon his first cap– which would tie him to Ireland.
He said: “There is every chance. He has been very impressive but again it’s about understanding roles and responsibilities of what’s needed for the team and when.
“I can only speak very highly in admiration of what he’s been able to do in training and he’s going to be a good player for Ireland, a very good player.”
He will add to an arsenal which already includes Adam Idah and Troy Parrott – both of whom scored against Hungary – Michael Obafemi and the currently injured pair of Evan Ferguson and Chiedozie Ogbene.
And O’Shea is enthused by the prospect of no striker being able to take their place in the squad for granted.
He said: “The key for me would be, when you speak about the goalkeepers, centre-backs, whatever it may be, positions, the hunger that we have when the squad is going to be announced, ‘oh this fella is involved, is he fit, are we all fit and scoring? Which way is it going to go?’.
“I think that is the best thing to have in terms of a competitive element in the squad – I have to be fit, I have to be available, I have to get out on loan if I’m.
“You have to get these things done early to say ‘I want to be involved against England.
“I know I need to be playing football as best as I can, as early as I can and settle into a new team or whatever it may be’.
“But also to know that I’m not in a comfort zone as such that they’re thinking I’m going to get picked for Ireland. They’re like ‘oh’, looking over their shoulder thinking ‘he’s not bad, he’s a good finisher’.”
It was telling that O’Shea did not mention midfield in that context where Ireland appear short.
BOSUN LAWAL
And he admitted that, ideally, Bosun Lawal – who was released to the Under-21s – developed as a midfielder rather than a centre-back.
After an impressive stint with Fleetwood Town, he will return to Celtic for pre-season but a loan to a club on the continent for next season is on the cards.
O’Shea said: “Ideally but that’s with the Irish cap on. For him, I just want him to become the best Irish player he can.
“He’s in League One and I’m sure now he’s going to go test himself having caught the attention of plenty of clubs.
“What Celtic do with him now, let’s wait and see.
“The key for Bosun if he wants to be a centre midfielder in particular is playing at a higher level, a more technical level and seeing how he can cope with moving the ball quickly having lots of bodies around him.
“If he does that, I think he can excel as well. He won’t have any issues in terms of having a very good career once he applies himself like he is doing at the minute.
“For a year or two now he’s been looked at with high potential.
“When you look at him sometimes he just looks a class player because he’s so comfortable in possession. He can drive past three or four players, he can stop attackers at ease.
“You can see why people think he can be a centre-back and you can see why he’s going to be a driving force in midfield too.
“It’s a fantastic option for Ireland going forward in terms of what he’s going to be. Most importantly he’s going to be a very good player but at the minute.
“We want more centre midfielders coming through in terms of that competition element in the squad.”