THE Republic of Ireland will have to do something "extraordinary" to make it to Euro 2021, said manager Stephen Kenny after he named his squad for next week's semi-final qualifier in Slovakia.
It's three years since the Republic won away from home against ranked opponents and to make it to next summer's European Championships, Kenny's men have to win in Bratislava on October 10 and then do the same against the winners of the Northern Ireland v Bosnia semi-final.
Kenny says it's "a big task".
“We haven't as a nation won a significant – I know there was Euro 2016 and that - away game in quite a while," said the former Derry City manager.
"So we will have to do something extraordinary now and go and win two to get to the Euros. It's a big task in Slovakia but there is great spirit in the team and I encountered that on my first time with them.
"It's a very humble group, they are humble lads who love playing for their country, they are desperate to play in the Euros and they want to give it everything they have and be well prepared, so we are looking forward to that."
Kenny was at least able to name a squad packed with in-form Premier League players for the game against Slovakia and the Uefa Nations League games against Wales in Dublin and Finland in Helsinki which follow.
Calum Robinson and Conor Hourihane were on the scoresheet in the Premier League; Jeff Hendrick, Matt Doherty and Shane Duffy have all settled quickly at news clubs while others, including James McCarthy at Crystal Palace, are first team regulars again.
"It's good to see so many players playing regularly, that's important," said Kenny.
"I think they'll come into this window in much better condition physically, match-fitness wise, coming into the games and that will be a big help.
"You can contrast now to last month when players hadn't played matches in pre-season and hadn't featured, hadn't gotten games under their belt. Shane Duffy, for example, I don't think people realise that he had only one game in nine months, between January and September, for Brighton. He'd only one game.
"Jeff Hendrick had only one in six months so you're going from that sort of scenario to a lot of players are playing every week, not all of the players but you're right last weekend was a good one, Callum Robinson scoring two and obviously Conor Hourihane scoring last night, Jeff Hendrick scored and other players so there's been some good signs."
If anything, Kenny's players are now getting too much game-time at their clubs. On Sunday, up to 11 of them will be in action meaning the Ireland boss won't get to spend much time with his team before he sends them out for the vital qualifier.
"Normally you might get one or two in a Sunday game, now we've got 11 because the matches on TV are on every hour," he said.
"Aston Villa play Sunday night so that's a challenge, we can't train Monday really, then we've got one day training Tuesday and we fly Tuesday, preparation time is really limited so we just have to maximise everything around that to make sure we are ready and we will be ready and make sure we are."
Republic of Ireland squad:
Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (Bournemouth).
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Derrick Williams (Blackburn Rovers).
Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), James McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Harry Arter (Nottingham Forest), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jayson Molumby (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Robbie Brady (Burnley).
Forwards: Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (Stoke City), Aaron Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), David McGoldrick (Sheffield United), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Shane Long (Southampton).
