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Jack Byrne doesn't know how good he is - Joseph Ndo

Jack Byrne has the ability to be a key player for Ireland if he raises his game just a little bit, says Joseph Ndo.



Joseph Ndo joined Nathan Murphy on The Football Show to discuss Cameroon, the World Cup and Jack Byrne.

Joseph Ndo played 21 times for Cameroon.

But all of Ndo's caps for Cameroon came before he arrived in the League of Ireland. He played for Cameroon from 1998 to 2002. In 2003, he joined St. Patricks Athletic and stayed in Ireland until his career ended in 2016.

While Ndo never played for Cameroon and in the League of Ireland at the same time, he understands what it takes to play international football and he understands the standard of domestic football in Ireland. As such, he's perfectly placed to comment on Jack Byrne's value to Ireland.

Ndo believes that Byrne is an outstanding footballer who should be more involved with Ireland.

"As a fan, you will enjoy watching Jack Byrne," Ndo said.

"That young man is something else. I don't think even he knows how good he is. I don't think so, I don't think so because what he's doing [is great]. If he raises his game just a little bit, that young man can be the player the national team needs."

Shamrock Rovers won the league at a canter this season. They prioritized the league over making a run in Europe and received some criticism for that. But part of Stephen Bradley's thinking in that regard may have been the depth of his squad.

Byrne was not fully healthy this year. Even when he was available to play he wasn't playing at 100%. That limited the impact he could have on the field and made it easy for Stephen Kenny to look past him.

Ireland's performances against Norway and Malta suggest that Byrne is the type of player they're missing. He shouldn't start every game or even heavily feature for Ireland, but he has the skill set to unlock low blocks that nobody else in the national pool has.

Ndo himself knows a little bit about how to unlock a defence too. It's high praise that will be well received by one League of Ireland legend from another.

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Ireland Jack Byrne Joseph N'Do League Of Ireland Stephen Kenny