When Robbie Brady dreamed of captaining Ireland, he never countenanced losing 1-0 at home to Iceland on the same night.
The Burnley man put in a decent shift at left back for Ireland after taking the captaincy duties from the injured Seamus Coleman.
Brady was predominantly on set-piece duty, saw a lot of the ball, snuffed out Icelandic attacks and was vocal in encouraging his teammates. It was a good performance on a personal level but Brady cut a forlorn figure after leading his side to their first home defeat in 15 games.
Asked about the Hoerdur Magnusson free-kick that settled the tie, Brady admitted it was ‘very disappointing’ that it was the defining moment of the game. His face said it all…
“It’s not really good enough, on our behalf,” he added.
Brady agreed with the comments of teammate James McClean that Ireland were “flat” in the first half but stressed it will be a different story when Austria visit Dublin for June’s World Cup Qualifier match.
Asked to reflect on the positive of leading Ireland in a senior international fixture, Brady said the right things but that sense of frustration shone through. That sense of something left out on the pitch.
Brady found time to get in a mention for the injured Seamus Coleman before he was presented with the host sponsor’s man of the match award. Not a hint of excitement or contentment. He took it with grace but could not wait to get out of there.
“Thank you. Thanks very much. Thanks a million. Thanks lads.”
Cheers lads. He couldn’t get out of there quick enough.
Still out on the pitch. The taste of defeat still in his mouth.
Getting such an award when leading your country may be something Brady will look back upon fondly when he retires but his international focus is now on Austria. Nothing else.
You can check out the full eir Sport interview here:
"Its a dream for me to captain my country" – Robbie Brady spoke to us after the game tonight. #IRLICE #COYBIG https://t.co/bC1fZZkVo8
— eir Sport (@eirSport) March 28, 2017
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