Stephen Kenny has insisted he does not feel under any pressure to select teenage sensation Evan Ferguson for the Republic of Ireland.
The 18-year-old has emerged from the Brighton ranks in thrilling fashion this season and his Premier League form was rewarded with a first senior Ireland cap in November before a goal in his maiden start for his country against Latvia in March.
Ferguson’s blossoming talent has prompted excitement back at home and he will hope for a role in Friday night’s key Euro 2024 qualifier against Greece in Athens.
But asked if the clamour to pick him was a problem, Kenny replied: “No, not at all. At the moment on recent form, he’s in the team on merit. He’s been our best forward, for sure.
“To score a goal in his first game can only give him confidence. I don’t feel any pressure, no. He’s a brilliant addition for us. I’m delighted to have him in the team.”
Ferguson started Ireland’s opening qualifier, a 1-0 home defeat by France, a game in which he and his team-mates fought a rearguard action for long periods before ultimately going down to Benjamin Pavard’s second-half strike.
Greece boss Gus Poyet is expecting a significantly different approach at the OPAP Arena – which could only be a third full as the Uruguayan attempts to lure fans back to support the national team – and Kenny did little to disabuse him of the notion.
He said: “France were a penalty shootout away from being double World Cup champions. They are undoubtedly a world-class team, a team that has a lot of world stars in it.
“This is a different game entirely. Greece are on a good run of form, they are a possession-based team as well, they get a high percentage of possession in a lot of their games, they like to dominate possession, they’re expansive.
“We’ve shown the capacity to be like that as well in a lot of games, that’s one of our strengths as well. It’s an intriguing game really.
“Is the approach different? Yes it is, so we’ll have to wait and see how that goes on Friday.”
Wigan wing-back James McClean could win his 99th cap in Athens, putting him in line to become the seventh man to win 100 for Ireland against Gibraltar on Monday, although Kenny is adamant sentiment will not come into his thinking.
He said: “You can’t allow sentiment to enter your decision-making process when you’re selecting the team, that doesn’t come into it. But anything is possible.
“James, there’s an inevitability he will get 100 caps, it’s only a matter of when. He’s been an incredible servant to Ireland.
“You see [Luka] Modric playing at 37 last night – you wouldn’t put that out of the realms of James playing to that age. He’s obsessed with his levels of fitness. He could play for several years still.”
Davies: Canada will 'enjoy the moment' after historic Copa America win
Alphonso Davies revelled in Canada's first ever Copa America victory, insisting he and his team-mates will savour their narrow 1-0 win over 10-man Peru.
Jonathan David scored the only goal in Kansas as Jesse Marsch's side boosted their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages from Group A.
The Lille striker struck 16 minutes from time to move the Canucks up to second place behind reigning champions Argentina, who beat them 2-0 in their opener, with 26 of his 27 international goals coming in competitive matches.
It gave Canada only their third victory over a South American opponent, and first since a 2-0 win over Colombia in the 2000 Gold Cup final.
They also kept their first clean sheet against a team from the CONMEBOL region since holding Brazil to a goalless draw in the 2001 Confederations Cup.
"We're going to enjoy the moment, but know the work isn't done," skipper Davies told Canadian broadcaster TSN.
Stephen Eustaquio added: "We were too naive in the first half, but played more direct in the second half."
Canada's first Copa America victory came in their second match, with Panama the only CONCACAF nation to achieve their maiden win in their opening match in the competition - doing so eight years ago.
Marsch's side face Chile in their final group encounter on Saturday, when a draw may be enough to take them through to the quarter-finals.
"We have everything to fight for in the last game," David told TSN.
Southgate urges England supporters to 'stay with the team' amid Euro 2024 criticism
Gareth Southgate pleaded for England's supporters to "stay with the team", after venting their frustration following the goalless draw with Slovenia.
The Three Lions advanced to the Euro 2024 knockout stages as Group C winners, despite winning just one of their opening three games and scoring two goals.
Southgate's side, who came under scrutiny following their 1-1 draw with Denmark, did little to silence those critics with another underwhelming performance against the Slovenians.
Despite dominating large periods of the contest with 74% of possession, it yielded an expected goals (xG) tally of just 0.87, with the front three of Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden registering just two shots on target between them.
Sections of England fans jeered their team at the final whistle, while hurling empty drinks cups in the direction of Southgate as he applauded them.
The Three Lions boss empathised with the supporters, but urged them to point the finger of blame at him, rather than his players.
"I understand it. I'm not going to back away from it," he told reporters during his post-match press conference. "The most important thing is the supporters stay with the team.
"I understand the narrative towards me, and that's better for the team than it being towards them. But it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I've not seen any other team qualify and receive similar.
"[The players] kept composure in a game where they've come into a really challenging environment. Of course, we'd love a couple of goals that sends everybody home happy. But we were definitely an improvement on what we did in the last game."
"I think the changes we made had a positive effect on the game tonight. We weren't able to find the right pass, the final finish. But we are improving."
Despite the disappointment at their performance levels, England have managed to avoid the half of the draw that includes the likes of France, Germany, Spain and Portugal.
The Three Lions will play either the Netherlands, who finished third in Group D, or Group E's third-placed side in the round of 16 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.
And Southgate knows a positive atmosphere within the camp will be crucial as the Euro 2020 finalists target another deep run in this competition.
"You never want to look back having not topped the group and spiral into tough matches where people can then accuse you that, because you didn't win the group, you've ended up with a tougher draw," he added.
"We have made England over the last three or four years fun again. I think it has been enjoyable for the players, and we have got to be very, very careful that it stays that way."
Scotland denied '100% penalty' against Hungary, says Clarke
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke was adamant his side should have been awarded a penalty as their Euro 2024 campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Hungary in Stuttgart.
Kevin Csoboth scored the winning goal in the 10th minute of injury-time to put Scotland out of another major tournament in the group stages.
However, things could have been much different for Clarke's side.
Stuart Armstrong looked to have skipped beyond Hungary's Willi Orban in the 80th minute, before the RB Leipzig defender grappled across the midfielder, with both tumbling inside the area.
Referee Facundo Tello waved away Scotland's appeals, and a subsequent check by VAR deemed the challenge not worthy of awarding a spot-kick.
“It was 100% a penalty," Clarke said. "Somebody, somewhere has to explain to me why that's not a penalty. It’s a one goal game, we get the penalty and it could have been a different night.
“I've got other words, but I'm not going to use them. I don't understand how VAR can look at that and say it's not a penalty.
“In a European competition, it may have been better to have a European referee but we had European VAR and maybe a referee didn't see the challenge clearly on the pitch, so what's the purpose of VAR if they are not going to come in on something like that. It was a penalty.”
Having qualified for successive European Championships, this was Scotland’s 12th major tournament group stage, and in 50% of those they have failed to win a single match – at the 1954, 1958, 1986, and 1998 World Cups and EURO 2020 and 2024.
“We gave everything, there’s nothing you can fault there. It was a very tough game against a good opponent," said Clarke. "A very close game that was always going to be decided by the first goal. You could tell that after half an hour.
“Unfortunately for us when we opened up towards the end of the game to try and chase the winner, that we felt we needed to get to the next stage, we got caught on the counter.”
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