Brady stars on Irish debut

Robbie Brady was delighted to score and provide two assists on his Republic of Ireland debut, helping his country to record a 4-1 friendly win over Oman.
The Manchester United winger, who recently set a new scoring record for the Irish Under-21s, produced an impressive display at Craven Cottage. As well as finding the net himself with a fine individual strike, he also set up goals for Shane Long and Kevin Doyle.
Having sampled a first taste of international football, Brady is now hoping to retain his place in manager Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad but concedes he may have to seek a loan move away from Old Trafford in order to catch the Italian’s eye.
“I'm delighted with the way it went but I thought I could have done more,” Brady said. “I wasn't disappointed, but I felt I could have done a bit more. Maybe I could have got on the ball a bit more all-round really.
“I've gotten on well with everyone in the squad. Kevin Doyle is a great bloke, he and the rest of the guys are great. They've made me feel part of the group.
“Hopefully I can push on and keep playing (for Ireland), I don't want to come in and doss about. I want to stay playing so I need to be playing as many club games as I can. If that means I need to take a loan move, I will. We'll see what happens. I'd just like to play as much football as I can.”
Trapattoni, who praised Brady for his impressive debut, did also warn the 20-year-old that he must be playing regular first-team football to make the national team on a regular basis.
“I think Brady played well in the first half,” Trapattoni told reporters. “He scored a goal and I think he can also do better. He might be called up in to the squad for the next match but he would not necessarily be in the team. This is a problem we have, that five or six of our players only usually play 30 minutes or so every week.”
Prior to Tuesday’s friendly, Irish Under-21s manager Noel King paid tribute to Brady, praising the youngster's form and personality, describing the Reds star as “a credit to his family.”
“Robbie has deserved his call-up,” King told the FAI’s website. “He’s been sensational for us – as the people of Sligo will testify after his previous performances in the campaign. He sets the place alive and some of his play has been outrageous.
“He still has lots to learn – he’s not the full article and he’d tell you that himself. The players love playing with him. He has a great personality. He has a good demeanour and a good manner and he’s a credit to his family. I’ve nothing but good to say about him and I hope he fulfils his potential.
“It’s a lot to come at such a young age for him but he has big shoulders and I think he’s going to be one of our most exciting players. Robbie has the chance to go on and play for Ireland for many years and I hope he does.”