[h=3]Ward gets thumbs up from Irish legend[/h]8:00am Saturday 30th November 2013 in Albion By Brian Owen
Stephen Ward
Stephen Ward has been told he has done his international claims a power of good – by one of the Republic of Ireland’s greatest ever full-backs.
Albion’s on-loan left-back is back in pole position to start his country’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
His performances for the Seagulls earned a call-up for the start of the new era under Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane.
And clean sheets at home to Latvia and away to Poland underlined him as a potentially valuable contributor to the Irish cause.
Denis Irwin played 56 times for the Republic and was at the two recent friendlies doing media work.
Ward impressed him. And he believes he will have done nothing to dissuade the management from keeping him in the side.
The former Manchester United star said: “Stephen played very well in those two games.
“In the first game, at home to Latvia, he didn’t have too much to do defensively.
“It was all about getting on the ball and going forward.
“The second one, the 0-0 draw in Poland, was much tougher.
“It wasn’t the best of pitches out in Poznan but full marks to the back five because they kept a clean sheet.
“It won’t be easy for him to keep his place.
“Marc Wilson from Stoke has been playing well recently.
“Ciaran Clark was at left-back for Villa at West Brom on Monday which was a surprise because he is a centre-half.
“Players can swap from right-back to left-back so there is always going to be competition.
“But, as long as he is playing and doing well for Brighton, he’ll get his chance playing for Ireland.
“I’m sure Stephen will be delighted to be back in there.
“When new management come in you want to put a marker down and he has done nothing wrong because we defended very well in Poland.”
Original article
Stephen Ward has been told he has done his international claims a power of good – by one of the Republic of Ireland’s greatest ever full-backs.
Albion’s on-loan left-back is back in pole position to start his country’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
His performances for the Seagulls earned a call-up for the start of the new era under Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane.
And clean sheets at home to Latvia and away to Poland underlined him as a potentially valuable contributor to the Irish cause.
Denis Irwin played 56 times for the Republic and was at the two recent friendlies doing media work.
Ward impressed him. And he believes he will have done nothing to dissuade the management from keeping him in the side.
The former Manchester United star said: “Stephen played very well in those two games.
“In the first game, at home to Latvia, he didn’t have too much to do defensively.
“It was all about getting on the ball and going forward.
“The second one, the 0-0 draw in Poland, was much tougher.
“It wasn’t the best of pitches out in Poznan but full marks to the back five because they kept a clean sheet.
“It won’t be easy for him to keep his place.
“Marc Wilson from Stoke has been playing well recently.
“Ciaran Clark was at left-back for Villa at West Brom on Monday which was a surprise because he is a centre-half.
“Players can swap from right-back to left-back so there is always going to be competition.
“But, as long as he is playing and doing well for Brighton, he’ll get his chance playing for Ireland.
“I’m sure Stephen will be delighted to be back in there.
“When new management come in you want to put a marker down and he has done nothing wrong because we defended very well in Poland.”
Original article