Ben Symes

Hamer said on Saturday, age shouldn't be the reason why... A number shouldn't be the reason why he doesn't play in Euro 2028.

And that's exactly the way I would feel as well.

You know, when these players come around, it's not just what they do on the pitch.

And we know Seamus is brilliant on the pitch.

It's exactly what he does off the pitch.

And I spoke to a couple of people who were watching the game from at home and they said you could actually...

audibly here on the microphones about 10 minutes in him shouting at players to lift the tempo and stuff like this in a friendly against North Macedonia when you have the heartbreak and the disappointment of the game on Thursday night to have someone who's experienced enough and knows exactly what to do to motivate the players to move on from that sort of defeat and be able to progress as a squad and realise

The good things that Ireland have produced, not just in this campaign, or not just in this camp, but what happened last November was absolutely magical.

And Seamus coming back into that camp, you know, it's no shock that Seamus got reintroduced back into the starting XI against Portugal away.

Portugal home and Hungary and that's exactly what happened he is a player who you just cannot afford to lose those players like that don't grow off trees and if Seamus Coleman is gone I really hope he's not if that was his last fixture it's going to take a long long time for us to find someone of that calibre to fulfil that role

Yeah, I asked him before the game, obviously the team sheet drops and only three changes and maybe people were expecting Seamus mightn't start considering he played over 90 minutes in Prague on Thursday.

But I asked Hamer, you know, who had been asked a lot of questions at the weekend about Seamus Coleman's future.

Does him being fit enough to start two games such a short period of time mean that all questions are quashed regarding his fitness?

Yeah, it is.

I think, to be honest, there's no kind of way of painting stuff differently.

Like the leaders in that squad.

Who are the leaders?

You've got Seamus Coleman.

You have Robbie Brady.

Who missed so much.