The FAI has no issue with John O’Shea holding a full-time role at Birmingham City while he continues to coach the senior Republic of Ireland squad.
O’Shea is has been linked with a role as Wayne Rooney’s assistant at St Andrews after the EFL Championship club sacked their manager John Eustace on Monday morning.
Birmingham, under the minority ownership of NFL legend Tom Brady since August, are expected to appoint Rooney this week as they seek a manager who will be “responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style.”
O’Shea (42), who won 118 Ireland caps before turning to coaching, is in camp in Dublin ahead of the European Championship qualifiers against Greece at the Aviva stadium on Friday and Gibraltar in Portugal next Monday.
Having previously balanced working at Stoke City and the Ireland under-21s, the FAI would not block a similar arrangement, The Irish Times understands.
The only injury-enforced change to the Ireland squad sees Sammie Szmodics, the 28-year-old Blackburn Rovers attacker, called up to replace Aaron Connolly.
Connolly misses out after a toe issue flared up following Hull City’s 2-2 draw with Millwall on Saturday.
Interestingly, the uncapped Szmodics is preferred ahead of Troy Parrott. Currently on a season loan from Tottenham Hotspur to Dutch club Excelsior Rotterdam, Parrott made his fifth appearance in the Eredivisie on Saturday, during a 0-0 draw with Vitesse. All five runs have come off the bench, although the 21-yearold Dubliner has scored twice.
Ireland manager Stephen Kenny said Parrott was not included in his September squad due to minor surgery last summer.
Szmodics is a form selection. He’s the top scorer in the Championship this season, with seven goals in 11 appearances for Rovers, where he plays alongside Ireland under-21 vice captain Andy Moran.
However, Kenny stated last week that the English born player was overlooked for the initial squad as the management has no intention of playing him against Greece.
Ireland’s assistant manager Keith Andrews will explain the Szmodics call up when he speaks to the media today for only the second time, despite being the only ever-present coach during Kenny’s three years at the helm.
Others have come and gone. Damien Duff and Alan Kelly resigned in January 2021. Anthony Barry made a brief if lasting impression but, after just 12 months, the Liverpudlian was head hunted by former Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, who subsequently took him to Portugal. Barry has also kept a day-to-day coaching job under Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich.
Eustace took the role next, missing the 1-0 defeat in Armenia last year as he was getting married, before parting ways following two international windows because the Birmingham job came up..
Republic of Ireland Squad – Greece/Gibraltar
Goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Mark Travers (Stoke City, on loan from AFC Bournemouth), Max O’Leary (Bristol City).
Defenders: Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Festy Ebosele (Udinese), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Shane Duffy (Norwich City), Dara O’Shea (Burnley), Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest), Liam Scales (Celtic), Ryan Manning (Southampton).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen), Mark Sykes (Bristol City).
Forwards: Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Chiedozie Ogbene (Luton Town), Callum Robinson (Cardiff City), Mikey Johnston (Celtic), Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers).
