IRISH PRIDE 'If this was wrong, it means they can't sing the national anthem' - Niall Quinn on Stephen Kenny's motivational video

Former Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn does not believe national team boss Stephen Kenny did anything wrong by showing his players a pre-match motivational video ahead of the international against England earlier this month, as he insisted displaying pride in your country should be at the heart of international football.

FAI chiefs launched an enquiry after it emerged the Ireland players had been shown what was described in one newspaper as an 'anti-English' video ahead of the game at Wembley.

The enquiry concluded with Kenny cleared of any wrongdoing in the story and Quinn believes the former Dundalk boss should not be criticised for attempting to fire his side ahead of a big game.

"To use an old English phrase, it's much ado about nothing," Quinn told Virgin Media Sport. "There was an inquiry into it, was there even a need for it? I'm not so certain.

"It seemed to be something that was really promoted in the UK press, pushed by, I suppose, commentators from the political world, that it was the wrong thing to do.

"Can I just remind people that this is the same sort of setting, that when they go out on to the pitch they sing the Soldier's Song," he added.

"If this video was wrong, it means they can't sing the national anthem from now on, because there's words in that national anthem that say, 'we're soldiers of Ireland...we pledge our soul to Ireland...we'll go against the Saxon foe.

"It's about getting your Irishness out there in front of you to be motivated and to play for your country.

"My feeling now is that Stephen Kenny should ride on that and say, 'right, OK, I'm building a team and I'm bringing motivation into my team, I'm doing it my way, the English press had a go at me but I'm going to do it the way Stephen Kenny does things.

"The day they take our history away from us, and tell us that we can't even stand for our national anthem anymore, because there's reference in there to the past.

"I'm so lucky I played and I was never asked what happened in our dressing room when we played England, because that makes this look very small indeed."

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Online Editors