Happy with the result and with plenty of positives to extract from the performance, there was a certain sense amongst the players that the Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 draw against England at Wembley was proof that they are more than capable of mixing it with the top sides.
Under Giovanni Trapattoni, Ireland’s record against higher-ranked teams has been below average, but a share of the spoils against an English side who are currently ranked seventh in the world served as a reminder that they are no slouches either.
Jon Walters admitted it was a difficult game but the end result was another indicator of their grittiness.
“It was tough at times but we had a great shape about us, from the back four to the midfield players, to Robbie and Shane Long. We’re happy with the result in the end.
“When you play the bigger teams, you’re not going to have the majority of possession. We’ve got to have a solid shape about us and we’ve got to work hard, especially if they’re playing wide men.
“We’ve got to work hard and track all the way back, keep your composure when you can and see if you can hit them on the break. But Shane (Long) scored an unbelievable header, and we’re happy with the result, even if we could have nicked it in the end.”
Faith
The Stoke City attacker, meanwhile, has admitted he was "sad" to see Tony Pulis depart the Britannia Stadium, but is hopeful new boss Mark Hughes will show similar faith in him come next season.
The 29-year-old joined Stoke in 2010 from Ipswich Town and, naturally, was disappointed to see Pulis depart.
“Yeah, he was unbelievable,” Walters said. “He took me to Stoke and chased me for a while before I originally went. He played me in every game and put a lot of faith in me and it’s sad to see him go.”
Now Walters hopes Hughes will have the same faith in him come August – even if he hasn’t given it much thought in the middle of Ireland’s current four-game spell.
“We’ll see if he does, but I’m just focusing on the games ahead.
“I’m looking forward to a couple of weeks off too, before going back to pre-season. There have been a lot of games but I’ll keep going.”
Cameo
Midfielder Jeff Hendrick, meanwhile, is hopeful that his Wembley cameo improved his chances of a starting role in the next three games.
Trapattoni hinted after Wednesday’s game that he might rest Glenn Whelan for the friendly against Georgia on Sunday, and with James McCarthy suspended for next Friday’s qualifier against the Faroe Islands, a window of opportunity may be prised open.
Hendrick was given just over 15 minutes to impress, coming on for Whelan, but he is taking nothing for granted even though he does want to present the manager with a selection headache.
“There are a lot of midfielders in the squad and I’m sure we’ll all be training hard and trying to get into the team. It’s the manager’s decision, but we all have to give him a hard decision to make,” the Derby County player said.
“I know that I’m still young and I’m happy to be involved in the squad, but if I do get a chance I want to do well and show what I can do. Hopefully I’ll get a chance over the next few games.”
He was also delighted to be given the chance to grace the Wembley turf. “It was great. It’s what you dream of, playing for the senior team and to play against England is great. At half-time, he [Trapattoni] said to stay warm and when I was out warming up, he gave me the nod.”
As for taking encouragement from the draw, Hendrick added: “I suppose it was typical of the way Irish teams are – we’ll work hard and fight to the end. But you can be sure that we’ll always give 100 per cent and you need that when playing against the top teams.”
