We need to talk about Evan and, like everyone else in the build-up to the game against Latvia, that’s what Aidan Fitzmaurice and Aidan O’Hara discussed in the preview to tonight’s friendly against Latvia.
There are 48,000 tickets sold and the majority will be hoping for an “I was there moment” similar to the debuts of Liam Brady and Robbie Keane.
“It’s one of those nights that hopefully down the road people will still be talking about,” says Fitzmaurice.”This is a player in a generation in Evan Ferguson and people want to be there so it’s all eyes on one man.”
Like Ferguson, several players in the squad have a strong connection to the game in Ireland – more so than in many previous eras – a factor which Fitzmaurice believes is crucial in explaining why this group remain popular with supporters despite a lesser winning record than some of the teams that have gone before them.
“Ferguson will be aware that Bohs are top of the league, for example. That doesn’t mean that you’re going to win against France but just as a general uplift for the game in general.
“They would know that the women’s team are going to the World Cup and be interested.
“There’s a sponsor’s gig tomorrow with Stephen Kenny, an Ireland men’s player and an Ireland women’s player and there’s no way that would have happened 10 years ago so it shows a general lift in the game.”
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