Keith Andrews
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Then the next step up, of course, is up to international, from League of Ireland to international.
So if we can...
If we can link all of that up in a pathway, that was our sole intention.
And when we inherited the fact that Stephen was getting the job, we looked very closely at creating an identity from sort of bottom to top, if you like.
And along that way, I think Stephen Kenny said it brilliantly in his first ever interview as Ireland manager, we're hoping that there will be inspiration gathered from the way the international underage teams and the international manager are doing things all as one.
all in, as I said, in an effort to create an identity that will fall back down into the grassroots game and that we can have top class coaching in the grassroots game doing exactly as the Ireland senior team is doing.
And I think Stephen said that in his press conference, that to him, a measure of success would be all the schoolboy and schoolgirl clubs in Ireland trying to do and copy and emulate what his first team are doing.
And I think that's what we've tried to do behind the scenes.
And that's why Keith there got his job.
I have no idea where I was because I just kept talking for the five minutes.
I think I was saying how well our underage teams have done and obviously Keith was part of that with Stephen at the under 21s.
But down to other levels, we're ranking really well in Europe.
And it's a push to bring that all the way through as an identity through our system.
And it's a start now.
Obviously, when games get going again, we'll know more about it.
But we're really pleased, not just with Stephen Kenny and Keats' appointment and Damien Duff at the top end.
But Jim Crawford, the under-21s, is a hugely well-regarded and respected coach here in Ireland.
John O'Shea coming in to help him.
And then below that, again, our underage teams.
Andy Reid is in there, who you'll remember well and has worked with you guys.