Jon Walters and Shane Long. PA Archive / Press Association Images
PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
AFTER HIS HEROICS helped the Republic of Ireland to qualify for Euro 2016 on Monday night, Jon Walters will return to Premier League action with Stoke City this afternoon.
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Walters and fellow Irish striker Shane Long will be in opposition as Stoke make the journey to Southampton, and Long is keen to ensure some disappointment for his international team-mate.
“He [Walters] is a hero in Ireland at the moment. He was suspended for the first game, came into the second game and scored the two goals that got us to the Euros,” Long told SaintsFC.co.uk, reflecting on Ireland’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“He’s a great lad as well, I was delighted for him. Hopefully I can wipe a bit of the smile off his face on Saturday,” Long joked. “I’ll see him before the game and hopefully I’ll be the one with the smile on my face afterwards.
Long added: “It was a great night on Monday night. I think four or five games before the end of the group we looked dead and buried, but we got some good results; turned over Germany and nearly qualified straight away in Poland, but we had to do it the hard way as we always do in Ireland.
“We got a great away goal in Bosnia and that set us up for the home tie on Monday, and we managed to see it out.”
Shane Long: 'Hopefully I can wipe a bit of the smile off his face'
AFTER HIS HEROICS helped the Republic of Ireland to qualify for Euro 2016 on Monday night, Jon Walters will return to Premier League action with Stoke City this afternoon.
Walters and fellow Irish striker Shane Long will be in opposition as Stoke make the journey to Southampton, and Long is keen to ensure some disappointment for his international team-mate.
“He [Walters] is a hero in Ireland at the moment. He was suspended for the first game, came into the second game and scored the two goals that got us to the Euros,” Long told SaintsFC.co.uk, reflecting on Ireland’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“He’s a great lad as well, I was delighted for him. Hopefully I can wipe a bit of the smile off his face on Saturday,” Long joked. “I’ll see him before the game and hopefully I’ll be the one with the smile on my face afterwards.
Long added: “It was a great night on Monday night. I think four or five games before the end of the group we looked dead and buried, but we got some good results; turned over Germany and nearly qualified straight away in Poland, but we had to do it the hard way as we always do in Ireland.
“We got a great away goal in Bosnia and that set us up for the home tie on Monday, and we managed to see it out.”
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Euro 2016 Friends to foes Jonathan Walters Republic Of Ireland Shane Long Soccer Southampton