Kasey McAteer delight on night of firsts
First start, first goal – all that was missing was the first win to go with it as Kasey McAteer picked up the player of the match award in the Republic of Ireland's promising 1-1 international friendly draw with Senegal at the Aviva Stadium.
The Leicester City player was a livewire in the first half and would have opened his Ireland account only for a simply spectacular save from Yehvann Diouf 21 minutes in. Never fear, McAteer reacted quickest to the stop, controlling the dropping ball beautifully, turning sharply and firing low to the net.
Even with Senegal grabbing a second-half leveller through substitute Ismaila Sarr, McAteer was "over the moon" with his special night.
"I think you can tell by my celebrations it was like a dream come through," he told RTÉ Sport afterwards.
"It was my first night here at the Aviva, hopefully many more to come, but I wanted to get myself on the scoresheet, pity we couldn't hold on for the result but Senegal are a really good team and we'll take it in our stride."
Although played out in front of a crowd of just 32,478, both teams put plenty of graft in at the Aviva with a late flashpoint involving both teams showed a desire that isn't always present in the friendly arena.
"We went into the game saying that," McAteer said of the need to avoid that friendly lull.
For us it's about having a good performance and getting a result.
"Out there both teams wanted to win the game because that's in our nature and we want to win every game we play.
"It was like a dream come true"
Kasey McAteer speaks to @Corktod after scoring his first Republic of Ireland goal in the draw with Senegal #COYBIG #IRLSEN
📺 @rte2 @rteplayer
📱 Updates - https://t.co/t4LM2OmCA5 pic.twitter.com/kO1OvxRvvf
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 6, 2025
"It was a good game but unlucky we couldn't hold on in the end."
Once Tuesday's friendly in Luxembourg is complete, all eyes will turn to the forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign with Hungary visiting Dublin in early September.
McAteer feels things are definitely moving in the right direction.
"We had two good results last camp (two Nations League wins over Bulgaria), a good result today against a good team in the end, a really good team, they're ranked high.
"We'll look at ourselves going into the next game and hopefully we'll get the win."
"We've got some great players," McAteer added. "Festy (Ebosele) is really pushing and we can push each other.
"The main thing is to get this country to the World Cup and that's our aim. Every friendly game we need to build and build and hopefully we'll get ourselves there in the future."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson has already delivered on his earliest promise
IRELAND BOSS Heimir Hallgrímsson has already delivered on his earliest promise. In August last year, at a fans' forum event before his reign officially got underway, he said: 'It's going to be down to the squad to win the games, not the individuals. 'I think the first impression of the players is really good team players, really good characters, maybe a little bit too nice. 'Sometimes you need a bastard in your team. I am looking for him.' Essentially, Hallgrímsson was saying that he would add steel to the team. And already, the difference is palpable. The Icelandic coach's tenure began in disappointing fashion, with back-to-back Nations League losses against England and Greece. But Ireland have not been beaten at the Aviva Stadium since that opening window. Hallgrímsson has also picked up four wins from nine games. By contrast, it took Stephen Kenny 12 matches to secure his first victory. Now, there is a sense of confidence and momentum within the squad. Advertisement There was frustration last night at the Aviva that the winning run did not continue. But the hosts can take positives from the fact as late as the 81st minute, Ireland were beating an opposition 41 places above them in the world rankings, and who went into the fixture 20 games unbeaten. The caveat is the strength, or lack thereof, of the side Senegal put out. They were missing players such as the ex-Liverpool attacker Sadio Mane and Tottenham's Pape Matar Sarr. Other high-profile performers like current and former Chelsea stars Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly were kept on the bench. But the visitors still had plenty of talent within their ranks – Ismaïla Sarr, who scored the equaliser, featured in all 38 of Crystal Palace's Premier League games this season. So Hallgrímsson was positive in his post-match press conference, and that reaction is justifiable when all the circumstances are considered. Nearly a year into his reign, it's clear that Ireland are developing a distinctive style under the manager. While they weren't always effective last night, it is clear that being strong on set pieces, particularly in an attacking sense, is an integral aspect of Hallgrímsson's philosophy. Under Stephen Kenny, there was an attempt to distance the team from what some observers would regard as Ireland's traditional strengths — physicality and route one football, which virtually every manager before him, going back to Jack Charlton, embraced to a certain extent. Hallgrímsson is more in the Martin O'Neill/Giovanni Trapattoni mode than Kenny. The latter had great faith in his players, which some would argue was misplaced, whereas the former duo didn't put the same trust in Ireland's footballers but did each qualify for a major tournament. There were plenty of instances last night of long throws, hopeful balls forward or defenders booting it away to safety rather than trying to play out from the back — tactics that were less conspicuous in the Kenny era. Ireland's squad largely comprises players who operate at either bottom-half Premier League clubs and Championship sides — you could argue that it is only since Hallgrímsson took charge that they are beginning to play like a lower-level Premier League or Championship team. The Icelander, of course, has also benefited from his predecessor's willingness to blood young players. The trio of Adam Idah, Troy Parrott and Jason Knight now have 97 caps between them. That is also a sometimes underestimated but significant factor in the team's improvement of late. But it seems as if Hallgrímsson has persuaded the players to accept their limitations rather than reaching for the stars. Southampton's Will Smallbone hinted as much in his post-match interview, acknowledging it had been 'different' under Kenny. 'If you look at Irish teams in the past, they've always been built very big on set-pieces and making the Aviva a really tough place to come to, so I think that's what we've got to get back to.' At times, especially in the first half, it felt like Ireland were controlling the game without the ball. There were long stretches where Senegal dominated possession without really looking capable of scoring or even threatening the opposition defence. This new approach is also a recognition of where Irish football is, in the broader sense, in 2025. The problematic lack of resources, the absence of top-class academies and the inability to rely on English clubs to develop 16-year-olds anymore means the likelihood of producing world-class stars on these shores will decrease in the short term. Within that context, it is easy to see why any manager would consider it unwise to embrace any policy other than staunch conservatism when it comes to the men's senior team. Hallgrímsson may not have unearthed the definitive 'bastard' yet; rather, he has produced a team full of them. Ireland have become horrible to play against once more, meaning top countries will no longer relish coming to the Aviva. However, if this pragmatic approach falls flat and the Irish side fail to qualify for the World Cup, of course, Hallgrímsson won't have the same credit in the bank as Kenny's youth-oriented, expansive style afforded him. And in that hypothetical scenario, it's easy to envisage the 18-month contract the coach signed last year not being extended. But if the Boys in Green ultimately book their tickets to the USA, as they did in '94, there won't be too many people complaining.
The 42
3 hours ago
- The 42
'Stuart was always innovating. It's addictive to be in that environment'
WHETHER IT WAS the tennis ball machine he brought in, the leadership books he would suggest they read, or demanding that they lead analysis meetings, Stuart Lancaster always found new ways of challenging his Leinster players. Now, Connacht's players will be tested by Lancaster's insatiable pursuit of improvement. The Englishman spent seven years working as Leinster's senior coach, helping them to emerge from a worrying lull to claim a Champions Cup and Pro14 double in 2017/18, his second season with the province. There were three other Champions Cup finals during his spell with Leinster, as well as three more Pro14 titles. Those who worked with Lancaster during that time fondly remember the achievements, of course, but they also recall just how much he helped them to improve. Lancaster's influence on Leinster's squad not only improved the province's performances but also Ireland's. 'He was always innovating and trying to give us opportunities to get better,' says former Leinster and Ireland hooker James Tracy. 'Because he's so interested in personal growth and learning and learning from others, you can't not learn from him. 'It's very addictive to be in an environment like that.' And it wasn't just the players. Lancaster had a broader influence on many coaches within the province. This is something he plans to do in Connacht too. Lancaster during his first season with Leinster. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO St Michael's College, one of the key providers of players to Leinster, suffered an agonising defeat to Belvedere in the semi-finals of the 2018 Schools Senior Cup. The school's coaches, Andy Skehan and Emmet MacMahon, were still reeling when they got a surprise call from Lancaster, who they hadn't yet met at that point. 'He got our numbers and asked to meet us,' says Skehan, director of rugby at St Michael's. Advertisement 'We went through the game and he said it reminded him of the England v Wales game he was involved in at the 2015 World Cup. 'The learning from that was monumental for us and the development for us as coaches was huge. We put that into practice and then it became a regular thing. At least once a season, if not twice a season, we'd meet him in Leinster or St Michael's and talk through new ideas he had. We've maintained contact even since he left Leinster.' Skehan knows many other coaches who have had similar experiences with Lancaster, who also delivered lots of coaching seminars to bigger groups in UCD or Donnybrook. On occasion, Lancaster would bring in young players to ensure there was a practical element on the pitch. When Covid struck, Lancaster took the seminars online and spread his enthusiasm for the game even wider. 'Not only are Connacht getting someone who I think will advance their cause massively at senior level, but he will have an influence across the province into their age-grade teams, pathway, even the community level,' says Skehan. 'One of Stuart's greatest strengths is that he's technically and tactically very astute, but he also has an unbelievable understanding of leadership, culture, and community.' Leinster players who were interested in improving their leadership got used to Lancaster sending them videos, slideshows, and books on the topic. He would sit down with individuals to discuss their personal style of leading. But as Connacht's squad will soon find out, Lancaster is not into leading players by the hand. Team meetings in a Lancaster set-up are not just one-way. Lancaster during his last season with Leinster. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO 'You have to come with an opinion,' says Tracy. 'He wants you to understand why you did things in training or a game, why things worked or went wrong. You're not just turning up to be spoon-fed. 'Instead of telling you, 'You did this wrong, do this instead,' he'll ask you, 'What were you thinking here?' 'It means you don't just have the cop out of, 'Sorry, I was wrong' or 'Sorry, I made a mistake' because that doesn't fix anything. 'If you can get to the root of that issue in a team meeting in front of everyone, it makes you vulnerable but it makes you think more about why you made decisions.' Lancaster would task individual players with leading focused meetings. For example, young openside flanker Scott Penny would lead a breakdown preview ahead of the weekend's game. Penny would go away and work with the Leinster analysts to compile footage of the opposition's strengths and weaknesses around the breakdown, then guide his own team-mates through it in a meeting. The same happened with the scrum, the lineout, and other areas of the game. Lancaster and the other Leinster coaches obviously mixed in their views, but the Englishman wanted the players to know their stuff. 'So then when we were in pressure situations, we understood what to do because we were part of making that plan and understood how the opposition set up,' says Tracy. There was a constant focus on technical improvement too. 'He felt our catch-pass skills needed to be the best in the world if we were going to be able to play a possession-based game,' says Tracy. 'We needed to get better under fatigue.' So Lancaster would come into the gym with a bag of rugby balls while Leinster's players were lifting weights. In between sets, he'd start a countdown timer and get them to do handling drills under fatigue, challenging them not to drop a single ball in the two-minute blocks. Lancaster would make as much noise as possible to add more pressure. Lancaster with Connacht captain Cian Prendergast and CEO Willie Ruane. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO He also brought in the tennis ball machine, which allowed players to work on their hand-eye coordination outside of the actual on-pitch sessions. The ball would come at high speed and players had to use 'soft hands' to catch it, releasing the tension from their hands so the ball didn't just bounce away. He would send players clips of best practice from other sports. Many of Leinster's backs remember the footage Lancaster shared with them of Frank Lampard and other top footballers scanning the pitch when they weren't in possession. They were incessantly scanning all around them before receiving the ball to build a picture of the opportunities once they were in possession. Lancaster wanted them to do the same on the rugby pitch. Lancaster, a former teacher, is the epitome of a coach with a growth mindset. Connacht's players will enjoy the challenges he poses them. He's a caring coach, but a demanding one too. And his time in Leinster suggests that it won't only be the Connacht players who benefit from Lancaster's arrival. Skehan cites Joe Schmidt as a strong influence on the grassroots game when he was in Leinster, but reckons no one has matched Lancaster in that regard. 'Stuart's influence was huge,' says Skehan. 'From a grassroots to a pathway level, I think Stuart is probably most influential at that level. There's obviously a good case for him also being the most influential at the senior professional level. 'So Connacht have got a professional senior coach, but they've also got an incredible influencer on the community and pathway and development game that feeds into that.'
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Liverpool close in on Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz with new record bid
Bayer Leverkusen are believed to want £150m for the Germany international, who would prefer a move to Anfield. Liverpool's initial proposal came to £109m, including add-ons, but they have now submitted an improved offer with a greater guarantee of £100m. Wirtz also attracted attention from Bayern Munich but told the German champions he wanted to go to Liverpool. The new English champions are believed to have impressed him with their plan while Manchester City, who also showed an interest, have switched their focus to Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan and Lyon's Rayan Cherki. At £113m, Wirtz would smash Liverpool's transfer record. They paid £75m for Virgil van Dijk and £64m, rising to £85m, for Darwin Nunez. Wirtz, who found the net for Germany against Portugal in the Nations League on Wednesday, has scored 34 goals in the last two seasons for Leverkusen, helping them win a first league title in 2023-24, when he was named the Bundesliga Player of the Year. Liverpool have already signed his Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong for £29m as they begin life after Trent Alexander-Arnold. They are also in talks with Bournemouth, who want £45m for left-back Milos Kerkez, and could commit almost £200m to new signings within a few weeks.
