IT’S QUITE THE understatement to say a few things have changed since Stephen Gleeson last featured for Ireland.
Back in the summer of 2007, the then 18-year-old Wolves midfielder was one of a rake of uncapped players brought to the US by manager Steve Staunton for an end-of-season tour.
Along with the likes of Alan Bennett, Joe Gamble, Joe O’Cearuill, Stephen O’Halloran and the infamous Joe Lapira, Gleeson made his senior debut for the Boys in Green in the 1-1 draw with Ecuador at the Giants Stadium before his second appearance two days later against Bolivia.
But while that group of players will never get the opportunity to line out for the Boys in Green again, the Dubliner, now 27, is aiming to earn a third cap this week after a nine-year absence.
After a series of loan spells, his time at Wolves ended in 2009 with a move to League One side MK Dons. There, he established himself in the team — playing 174 times in five seasons under Roberto Di Matteo, Paul Ince and Karl Robinson.
A switch to Birmingham City followed in the summer of 2014 and and the former Cherry Orchard schoolboy has been a regular in the Blues midfield ever since.
It’s been a long road back to international football and a more rounded and mature Gleeson is determined to make the most of it this time around.
“It’s amazing to be back in squad, especially so close to a big tournament,” he said at the FAI’s National Training Centre today. “It’s good to be involved again after such a long time.
“Anything after this week’s training will be a bonus and if I can get onto that pitch it will be great.
I never stopped believing in myself, even dropping down the leagues. I knew I had the ability to one day get back here. I think it’s eight or nine years since my last cap and I think I’ve been playing well at my club over the last eight months.
“The last time I didn’t take it all in. I was probably a bit young and overawed. Coming in here I have the belief I belong in this squad and I have the ability to give something to this squad.
“I’m taking a lot more in this time and I’ve definitely taken a lot more experience from the first time.
“I don’t think I had played that many league games. I didn’t take everything in or play to my best ability. I’m coming in this time and I’ve played in the Championship consistently and done well. I’m definitely a better player now.”
Familiar with many of the current crop through his time in Ireland underage teams, Gleeson can also call upon a cousin for advice as he’s related to Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan.
“There’s a lot of lads who I played in the U21s with here as well but to have a family member to congratulate you when you’ve been named in a squad is really good,” he added.
“He’s quite established in it and has done really well over the years. If I have any doubts I can go to him and other players as well so it’s good to see.
“He’s got a lot of caps and has played under the last two or three managers so if I need that advice I know where to go.”
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The simplest rule change would be if a team don’t score a goal they don’t get a point.
0-0 no side gets a point.
1-1 2-2 etc a point each.
That way if you don’t score at least 1 goal you lose.
Excellent idea.
Right lads – we’ll let you score one and then you let us score one and then we’ll start playing properly.
I’d prefer something more like Rugby. Maybe a bonus point for scoring 3.
They should do it so that no game is a draw in a league , a tie after 90 mins goes to penalties
I always thought in a draw the away team gets 2 points, home team one.
A bonus point for scoring three goals would just increase the gap between the big teams and the rest. Imagine the state of La Liga or the Bundesliga if that rule was introduced!
Some fine new product has arrived in Amsterdam, it seems.
Reckon VanB asten knows more about the game than the lot of us put together
He does. It doesn’t make his ideas right.
I think the rule needs changing, not abolishing
It’ll be like school again, playing world cup and it was always the useless lad who hung on the post that won it
Haha beat me to it! Good auld world cup and heads and v’s!
Peter that’s called hatching
NO MOOTCHING LADS
Ridiculous, it would negate high pressing and make teams sit back. Meaning very little in the way of counter attacks and a lot of possession without a lot of action.
He is dead right when he says football needs to change. It’s full of cheats, time wasters, cry babies and the rules are cementing the status quo when they should be trying to change it.
Interesting debate – UEFA have obviously already abolished penalising hand-ball in the box with a penalty judging from the officials completely ignoring 3 of them in last Wednesday night’s Europa Cup Final!!
I taste grapes, sour merseyside grapes
I’m trying my VERY best to have a laugh at it now, Marc, a bit of good-humoured banter, despite the persistent frustration!
Completely ignoring 3!!
You reckon you deserved ’3′ penalties.
Kop yerself on
WOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHH!!!
Was listening to football weekly a while back and jimbo had a great idea to make everything more competitive and interesting. 3 points available per game as usual. If you win you get 2 and if it’s by more than 2 goals you get the bonus. If you lose by just the 1 you get 0 points but if it’s 2 goals or more you are docked a point. It would certainly keep the table interesting and you could forget about counting on games in hand as being necessarily good things.