Kenny Cunningham believes Ireland are on an "upward trajectory" now as the team basks in the glory of qualification for Euro 2016.
The ex-Boys in Green defender and former international team-mate Kevin Kilbane joined us on Off The Ball to talk about the campaign, last night's win over Bosnia and the tangible progress made under Martin O'Neill.
"You just feel that we're on that upward trajectory. I think when we qualified last time around, you just felt the lead-in to the championship on that occasion we were on somewhat of a downward spiral going into the championships and a little bit of dissension within the ranks, a little of unease, a little bit of unhappiness amongst the players. This is totally different," he said, while Kilbane added that Martin O'Neill is giving off the aura of the O'Neill that was at his club peak again.
Cunningham is also looking forward to seeing the likes of Seamus Coleman show off their talents in the spotlight of the watching world.
"Seamus Coleman, is worth a mention as well. The defensive side of his game over the two legs was absolutely exceptional. We're so used to talking about Seamus as an attacking force but the defensive side of his game has improved dramatically over the last couple of years, to the extent that really I don't think there is a better right-back in world football and it's going to be a great showcase for him next summer to showcase his talent in one of the greatest tournaments of all."
And Kilbane believes that Robbie Keane still has a part to play on the road towards and once Euro 2016 begins, while both also spoke about Roy Keane's growing influence as he gets into his groove as O'Neill's assistant.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
