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Stephen Kenny admits he has not had time to reflect upon the latest landmark in his career as he prepares to send the Republic of Ireland into battle for the first time.<\/p>\nStephen Kenny admits he has not had time to reflect upon the latest landmark in his career as he prepares to send the Republic of Ireland into battle for the first time.<\/p>\n
The former Under-21s boss has replaced Mick McCarthy in charge of the senior side since Ireland\u2019s last game, a 1-1 Euro 2020 qualifier draw with Denmark, and it is he who will attempt to guide them to the finals in next month\u2019s play-off against Slovakia.<\/p>\n
Kenny\u2019s appointment prompted raised eyebrows in some quarters with the 48-year-old former Longford Town, Bohemians, Derry City, Dunfermline, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk manager having worked largely in the League of Ireland before his elevation to the international set-up.<\/p>\n
Asked if Thursday night\u2019s opening Nations League fixture in Bulgaria, the first of his reign, would be the biggest of his career to date, he said: \u201cIf I took time and reflected on that, thought about it in that way, there is no doubt that it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I haven\u2019t had that period of introspection. I have been focused on the game itself and that\u2019s how I view it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are just focusing on the game itself, how we are going to play, the challenge of playing in an empty stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I am not looking at it from my own point of view. I don\u2019t have time for that, we just have to get ready to try and prepare the team and try to perform well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenny has signaled his intention to play a more progressive brand of football than that which has characterized Ireland\u2019s style of play in recent years, and he is not concerned that his plan might increase expectation.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI don\u2019t mind that, that\u2019s okay. I\u2019m comfortable with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Kenny\u2019s immediate focus is Nations League points, he knows the game in Sofia and Finland\u2019s trip to Dublin three days later represent priceless preparation for the trip to Slovakia.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe first thing is that the Nations League potentially gives you a World Cup play-off, a chance to be promoted to Group A, so with that in mind, you\u2019ve got to win the group.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not easy. First of all, we want to win the game if we could. That\u2019s important for us. And there is also the bigger picture of the Slovakia game in October with a view to that as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can say to you that each game is in isolation and we\u2019ll look at that when it comes \u2013 and there is an element of truth in that \u2013 but you have to see the wider view. We are building towards that as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Newcastle midfielder Jeff Hendrick, any involvement in Bulgaria would be his first competitive action since March 7, with lockdown and his contractual situation at former club Burnley prompting his longest ever spell on the sidelines.<\/p>\n
Asked how difficult that was, he said: \u201cOf course, it was different. When the lockdown came in, there was nothing to watch, so it was just a weird time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everyone turned to box sets or whatever they could and then once the football got back and I wasn\u2019t finishing the league off, it was hard to watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe games were on every day, it was exciting \u2013 obviously not as exciting as it would be with the fans \u2013 but there were games and as a player, you always want to play, so it was different.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was hard, but thankfully it sort of flew by and thankfully I was able to get myself sorted and get back into training and into the routine.\u201d<\/p>\n