Irish midfielder Will Smallbone has heaped praise on John O'Shea for his man-management skills.
O'Shea has taken over the Irish squad on a temporary basis and is being backed by the players to take it full-time.
Dara O'Shea, his namesake, is one of the players in question who has been praised by the Waterford native for his work with the squad in this international window.
“Us as a group, we just want somebody who understands Irish football and who knows what it is.
"Obviously, the manager here (interim boss John O’Shea) has probably the best experience in that sense.
“He has played so many times for this country and has worked under great managers, great Irish managers too, so there is a lot to take from that as well."
The bookies have Gus Poyet and Willy Sagnol as two favourites to take the job. The interim boss, O'Shea, is also a dark horse for the role.
Dara O'Shea isn't the only one to praise his interim boss; Smallbone has also claimed that John O'Shea's ability to get the best out of players on a personal level is one of his elite qualities.
“He’s a good manager and has an abundance of experience from his playing days. He was able to get that across in a managerial way, which is very important," said Smallbone.
Dublin , Ireland, March 25, 2024: Interim head coach John O'Shea with Evan Ferguson, left, and Will Smallbone during a Republic of Ireland training session at FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images) )“When you hear from different managers that haven’t maybe been there or played, it’s different from when you’d speak to a John O’Shea that has been there at the top level for many years and who knows exactly what you guys are going through.
“I have known John a while now, working with him with the Under-21s and also with Stoke. I have an enormous amount of respect for him, and I know the rest of the boys do too. As manager, I think he has been brilliant this week.
“On another day, we could come away with a win against a top nation. All around, it was a positive performance.”
Smallbone is one of the many young stars who know O'Shea from his time with the Irish U-21s. The Southampton midfielder claims that anyone who takes up the Ireland gig, whether that be O'Shea or someone else, will give his all for whoever that is.
“No matter who is in charge, you will give your all for them, and with John being the person and the man he is, everybody has a huge amount of respect for him.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him throughout my whole career, not just this past week but for everything he has done for me. He’s been brilliant, and all the boys have a huge amount of respect for him.”
