Sheffield United and Ireland defender John Egan joined The Football Show on Wednesday to discuss Stephen Kenny.
John Egan only has 19 caps for Ireland. He's 29 years of age and made his Premier League debut when he was 26.
If Stephen Kenny was Ireland manager 10 years ago, Egan would have closer to 100 caps for Ireland. He's is one of Ireland's best players. Either he or Gavin Bazunu is the first name on the team sheet for every game.
Egan's consistency for Ireland has made him a fan favourite. His leadership has made him a captain and his all-around ability has made him a proven international center back. He can play in any system and with any center back partner.
Although he was at home in Martin O'Neill and Mick McCarthy's more cautious setups, he is loving life under Stephen Kenny.
"It's obviously taken a bit of time," Egan said.
"The manager and the coaching staff are brilliant. They've come in with clear ideas. The sessions are really good, what's expected from us in training and to take it into the game. You can see the last few months, every camp we've improved and we've grown as a team."
Ireland enjoyed two convincing victories in their most recent games. Egan credits their extended time together before those matches for their success.
"The last camp was brilliant. Everything clicked. We went away to Azerbaijan, which is a tough place to go, to win 3-0 away from home is brilliant. You could see the confidence we took from that game into the Qatar game.
"Qatar aren't a bad side and we just had a gameplan and the lads executed the gameplan perfectly."
Kenny oversaw his Ireland team dismantle Qatar. Ireland ran the game and dominated from start to finish. The 5-0 scoreline was impressive but it even flattered their opponents. Ireland haven't had a performance like that for a very long time.
Ireland aren't settling though. Egan sees those games as a potential springboard into the future.
"We played some really, really good football. It's a testament to everyone really, the management, the staff, and all the players.
"All the players are dying to improve and to learn and to try and win games.
"You can see us growing as a team."
Ireland will play Portugal next week so Egan will have a chance to face off against Cristiano Ronaldo once again. Ronaldo scored two goals against Ireland last time out and he is coming off a two-goal Champions League performance this week.
Fortunately, there is no pressure on Ireland to win the game but another strong performance will only build the feel-good factor in the Irish squad.
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