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Paddy Mulligan on why he wants Damien Delaney back in Ireland's squad "at the minimum"

Ex-Republic of Ireland full-back Paddy Mulligan wants to see Crystal Palace central defender...



Paddy Mulligan on why he wants...
Soccer

Paddy Mulligan on why he wants Damien Delaney back in Ireland's squad "at the minimum"

Ex-Republic of Ireland full-back Paddy Mulligan wants to see Crystal Palace central defender Damien Delaney back in the squad ahead of Euro 2016.

The 34-year-old veteran retired from international duty last August, hinting at disagreements with "certain aspects".

But noises over the weekend from club manager Alan Pardew suggest that the Corkman could seriously reconsider his decision ahead of the tournament if manager Martin O'Neill is willing to allow him back into the fold.

"Maybe the boat has sailed off if Martin O'Neill has something in his mind about a particular individual. I suspect it's very difficult for Martin O'Neill to change his mind," said Paddy, who was impressed by his performance against Tottenham in the FA Cup.

"I, personally, would like to see Delaney at the minimum in the squad. He is a commanding figure and he was a commanding figure again yesterday in that smashing win for Palace against Spurs. All season long and last season as well."

Goalkeepers Darren Randolph and David Forde ©INPHO/James Crombie

The goalkeeping situation for Ireland is also interesting, given that most recent starter Darren Randolph is only a West Ham regular in cup games, while David Forde is a No 2 for the most part at Millwall.

Rob Elliot of Newcastle and Aston Villa's Mark Bunn are getting game-time but are far less experienced at international level.

Paddy would like to see Forde tasked with the No 1 role, having lost his starting Ireland place towards the end of the qualifiers despite no major error.

 "I would prefer David Forde. He did nothing wrong and got left out but Randolph has come in and done extremely well," he said.

Paddy also previewed the Champions League action as well as why he thinks Dynamo Kyiv could shock Manchester City in the first leg.

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