Friday night's win over Switzerland gave many players the chance to impress Martin O'Neill as time runs out to make the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2016 squad. One player that stood out more than most was Shane Duffy.
The Blackburn Rovers defender was named man-of-the-match for his performance as the team kept their sixth clean sheet in nine games. Former Ireland international Ray Houghton told Oisin Langan on Newstalk Breakfast that Duffy performance will have caught the eye of O'Neill.
"He really wants to be in there competing with the likes of Ciaran Clark, John O'Shea and Richard Keogh. He wants to be in there and saying; 'I'm every bit as good as you'.
Houghton feels that despite the performance, Duffy still has work to do to be part of O'Neill's plans for the starting 11. "All Shane Duffy can do is, when he gets his chance, keep playing well. If he does that, he will lay down a mark to the manager why he should go to the Euros".
Ireland have regularly played two centre-halves under O'Neill, but Houghton thinks there is an option to add in a third defender and use two wing-backs. "I think they have the personnel to do it. If you look at the wing-backs in Coleman and Brady, they are ideal for that. Two lads who love to get forward."
Euro 2016 preparations continue on Tuesday night against Slovakia in the Aviva Stadium.
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