John O’Shea, after finishing his role as the temporary manager of Ireland expressed his readiness to fully transition into the position of a head coach. This came after a tight loss to Switzerland, to which he was questioned about his potential assumption of the role, previously held by Stephen Kenny, on a permanent basis. While O’Shea did not give a definitive answer, he did express an increased desire for coaching in either the Irish national team or club football, following his brief experience in the job.
The footballer hailing from Waterford discussed his long-term plan to become a manager which began half a decade ago. His journey has involved gaining experience in assistant roles with an aim to eventually step into a lead managerial role. He lamented not being able to secure a victory in the matches he oversaw but gained valuable learning experiences from them.
When further probed, O’Shea asserted that his stint as an assistant for both Ireland and Birmingham City made him well-prepared for a more significant role. His readiness to become a manager was mostly undebated and will be discussed more thoroughly in the future. The two recent games provided him with an opportunity to both learn and also realise his ambition for the role, which he acknowledged was quite high.
O’Shea offered his thoughts on the match outcome, sealing by a free-kick from ex-Liverpool player Xherdan Shaqiri, recognizing Switzerland’s superior performance. He was, however, pleased with Ireland’s improved play, especially in the game’s latter half. He appreciated the changes made in terms of player intensity and applauded their efforts in causing difficulties for the Swiss side.