"It's been part of the furniture for the Irish squad for decades: the missing link, the outcast, the white knight, the saviour on the sidelines, the man who was unwanted but had the talent and strength to carry a nation to better times."
"For Jack Charlton it was David O'Leary; Giovanni Trapattoni had Andy Reid; Martin O'Neill had Matt Doherty, players who were harshly overlooked by a manager struck by his own stubbornness, a manager who, in the end, had to relent and bring them in from the cold."
The Irish squad has long contained players who were initially overlooked by managers. These figures were labeled the missing link, the outcast, the white knight, and the saviour on the sidelines. They often combined talent and resilience and had the potential to lift national fortunes. Historical examples include David O'Leary under Jack Charlton, Andy Reid under Giovanni Trapattoni, and Matt Doherty under Martin O'Neill. Each of these players faced harsh initial exclusion stemming from managerial stubbornness. In each case, managers ultimately relented and brought the overlooked players into the squad, acknowledging their value.
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