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Paul McShane | "I would have liked to get to 100 Ireland caps"

Paul McShane joined Wednesday's Football Show on Off The Ball where the former Ireland internatio...



Soccer

Paul McShane | "I would have liked to get to 100 Ireland caps"


Paul McShane joined Wednesday's Football Show on Off The Ball where the former Ireland international looked back on his career with a few regrets.

McShane's Ireland career finished in a draw with Slovakia in  2016 when he added to the opposition's goal tally when scoring an almost impossibly difficult own goal.

The former Hull and Reading defender is philosophical about how his international career finished up.

"Football careers don't really go to plan, it's very much a rollercoaster of ups and downs," McShane said. "You have to roll with the punches.

"I've kept going throughout my whole career, I took the highs with the lows and just cracked on and rolled with the punches for as long as possible.

"That Slovakia game was, unfortunately, my last for the country but I had plenty of club football left in me. I'm still going and hopefully have a few more left in me."

Paul McShane: 'I loved playing for Ireland'

Paul McShane finished with 33 caps to his name, was he happy with that haul?

"I would have liked to get to 100!" McShane admitted. "It didn't quite pan out like that, I made my debut at 20 years of age which is relatively young.

"I would have liked to have played every game until I was 35 but it wasn't to be. So I look back on my Ireland career with fond memories.

"I loved playing for Ireland and playing at the old Lansdowne Road. I played in Croke Park, I played in the  Aviva, I played under numerous managers and learned loads from them.

"You've got to look back and I've always had fond memories of playing for my country even if it didn't end like I would have wanted.

"You can't get too upset about these things, but it's been a good ride."

Paul McShane

There were times later in his career where McShane felt he should have gotten more chances in green.

"I was playing in the Premier League with Hull after we got promoted and the lads were playing well with Ireland so I felt like I didn't get much of a crack at it.

"It wasn't to be, but there were times with Hull in the Premier League when I wasn't in the team but I did get back in the team and played lots of games in the Premier League.

"I'd say the best I felt was between the age of 26 and now. Looking back now I wish I'd gotten the majority of my caps in my twenties but it was in my early twenties and that was just the start of my journey.

"I learned an awful lot in that time, it was good to look back on."