Paddy McCarthy finishes his press conference by shaking hands with those in the room, having spent the previous half-hour outlining how he believes Ireland are primed to shake things up and qualify for next summer’s World Cup.
The Crystal Palace assistant manager also doubles up as Ireland assistant coach and it doesn’t take long in his company to understand how players could feed off the Dubliner’s presence, energy and positivity.
“I have seen definite progress,” says McCarthy of this Ireland squad ahead of Saturday’s qualifier against Hungary at the Aviva Stadium. “The boys are in a good place, I just believe that this young team is on the cusp of something special and I hope that is evident on Saturday.
“We want to approach the game with an intensity, a confidence in what we do. We want to get the crowd behind us, be fast, attacking, we want to excite the Irish people and get them behind us from the first whistle on Saturday evening, give it a right good go to get to this World Cup.”
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But why would anything be different in this campaign? Ireland have spent so long barely treading water in international football that it’s hard to imagine them suddenly making a significant splash. Not so, feels McCarthy.
“I am seeing patterns, I am seeing resilience. I think back to the two Bulgaria games, we go a goal behind, maybe previously this young team might not have had the capabilities of getting back into the game,” he adds.
“Some of these lads with 30-odd caps are now the more experienced players in the team, they have been through a lot of adversity. My belief is they have grown through that adversity.
“It’s a definite that adversity comes before success and I believe that although it was tough at times before and they had a lot of criticism, maybe unjust, we are on the cusp of something and I hope the players show their true capabilities in this campaign.”
McCarthy made 151 appearances for Crystal Palace during a career in which he also played with, among others, Leicester City, Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United. He represented Ireland at underage level all the way to under-21 and also picked up a senior B cap.
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Since retiring, the former defender has thrown himself into coaching. He has already had two stints as Palace caretaker manager.
“I absolutely love what I’m doing, working with the Ireland team, working in the Premier League with Crystal Palace – my club. It’s a pinch-yourself moment, it’s a dream come true, it’s a humbling experience and one that I am completely obsessed with and giving everything to be the best that I can be.
“I have a very busy job back in England and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think they had the capabilities of qualifying for this tournament.”
Ultimately, McCarthy believes Ireland will be competing at the World Cup.
“My expectation is we’re going to be in America next year.
“We have the opportunity to inspire a nation, I think back to my first football memories – 1990, 1994, what impact that had on me and the country as a whole.
“Saturday night is that opportunity for this group, for us as a team to go and inspire the nation, so bring it on.”
