Mick McCarthy, just weeks away from the start of his buildup to the 2002 World Cup, yesterday took time out to talk about two of the players in the last Republic of Ireland squad to reach the finals.
Phil Babb, reborn in the move which took him to Tranmere from Liverpool, is suddenly looking competitive again after two seasons during which his career was nearly always in decline.
On Babb's renaissance at Tranmere, McCarthy said: "I'm delighted for him. . . He is too good a player not to be involved at a higher level. I've had him watched twice and the reports I got tallied with what I saw on television. In short, Phil Babb's a good defender again.
"In the coming months, I hope to use players like Paul Butler and Andy O'Brien in central defence for some of our friendly games. I don't need to be convinced of what Babb has to offer. If he's playing anywhere near his best, he'll do for me."
At the other end of the spectrum, Alan McLoughlin, a name synonymous with a famous reprieve on a raucous night in Belfast in 1993, has retired from international football. Since 1990, McLoughlin made 42 international appearances, scant enough reward for 10 years of dedicated service as a highly effective impact player.
It was in this role that his arrival as a 64th-minute replacement for John Aldridge helped turn the tide for Ireland against England during the first phase of the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy and earned a 1-1 draw which would fuel later heroics.
It was a highly significant substitution, but, in terms of drama, it didn't compare with McLoughlin's belated introduction to the World Cup qualifying game against Northern Ireland in Windsor Park in 1993.
Jack Charlton's team was a goal down when the manager told the Portsmouth player to strip for action and sent him on to replace Ray Houghton with just 20 minutes left.
Again, Charlton's hunch paid off and a marvellous strike earned the point which took the Republic to the finals in the United States the following summer.
In moments of frustration rather than anger, McLoughlin would argue later that he never got the rewards of that goal in terms of recognition from Charlton and at one point late in 1995, he claimed he had enough of warming benches and threatened to quit international football. Fortunately, he didn't and under McCarthy's management was named as Ireland's Player Of The Year in 1997.
"I got a lot of satisfaction from that for I always admired the manner in which Alan turned up for work, even if he was sat on the bench for much of his Ireland career." he said. "He came to me a couple of weeks ago to inform me that he was going to concentrate on his club career and I had to agree with that.
"As a pro, he knew it was time for me to start looking at younger players, people who would be in my squad for the next World Cup. But I want to go on the record as saying that Alan epitomised much of what Ireland teams are about; a good committed player who never shirked anything."
Much of the manager's reasoning for not attempting to dissuade McLoughlin is based on the fact that he must now find a place in his squad for Stephen McPhail, the talented Leeds United midfielder, who is likely to win his first cap against the Czech Republic at Lansdowne Road on February 23rd.
