Brady a 'hole' lot better now

The difference between a gaping hole and a concealed divot on a football pitch would be obvious enough to most observers – but to Robbie Brady and Steve Bruce, the difference was between three weeks and three months on the sidelines.

When the Republic of Ireland winger picked up a calf injury training for his club at the end of February, his boss at Hull City gave a rather bizarre description of the incident to the media, saying:

“Unfortunately Brady has fallen down a hole in the training ground and it looks an awful injury, I have to say,” Bruce explained. “We won't know the extent of it until he has had scans. After seeing him on Friday, I doubt he will be available for weeks. It could be the rest of the season.”

Cue the inevitable Twitter outcry and doctored pictures of the Baldoyle man disappearing down holes online as football fans from both sides of the Irish Sea attempted to digest what had actually happened to Robbie Brady. The 23 year old remains bemused by the whole episode three weeks later.

“I don't think it was as bizarre as everyone thinks,” Brady told media after training at Gannon Park on Friday. “The training pitches at Hull weren't in the best of conditions. I think it was the Friday before we went to play Stoke [a game which the Tigers lost 1-0], I played a one-two and went to get on the end of it – a divot gave away a bit under my foot and my calf popped. It was disappointing at the time, but it's been a quick recovery since then.

“There were pictures and whatever else going round that I'd fallen into a hole, but it wasn't as bad as what everyone thought and what people were saying!”

“It felt quite bad at the time, though, so I knew I'd done something that was going to put me out of playing,” added Brady. “I'd just had a good run of games up to it and, as I said, it was disappointing. When I went in, I had to wait for two days and wait for the blood to settle down and then go and get my scan. I think they said four to six weeks – I got back in just under three, so that was good.”

The 11 times capped winger admitted that the thought of missing this Sunday's crucial Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland at the Aviva Stadium helped drive him towards a miraculous return to full fitness which defied the original medical diagnosis of up to six weeks out of action.

“When it happened, it [the Poland game] was one of the first things to pop into my head,” said Brady. “I was looking forward to getting ready for it and that just put a bit of a bump in the road – but as I've said, I feel great, I've done everything I needed to do and I've got back for the game I really wanted to be playing in.”

Just in time for his international boss Martin O'Neill too, who has been sweating on the fitness of his first choice left-back Stephen Ward all week. The Burnley defender has been struggling with an ankle injury and though he played a full part in training on Friday for the first time since the squad assembled, there has been talk that Brady may be asked to fill in at left-back against Poland.

The former Manchester United winger is no stranger to the position having lined out there a number of times for Hull in the last few seasons, as well as for the Boys in Green to devastating effect in November's 4-1 friendly win over the USA when he scored twice – and Brady is confident in his ability to do a job in defence again if asked to reprise the role this Sunday.

“Over the last couple of years, I've been a bit more accompanied to the role,” said Brady. “I've played there quite a bit, so if he [O'Neill] calls upon me on Sunday and needs me to play left-back, I'll play left-back and I'll give 110 percent, and hopefully we'll come away with the result we need.

“It's definitely a change, but it's just concentration more than anything else,” added Brady. “I think it's working the mind more than the body. You know how quick and how strong you are, it's just getting your positioning right. The more I play there the more comfortable I feel.

“You need to learn new things if you're going to push on in the game, so hopefully that's just another string to my bow. Hopefully I can show that in the upcoming games and the next few years to come.”

A major case for his inclusion in the starting XI is the threat he poses from set-pieces, as evidenced by his stunning second goal in the USA game. Both O'Neill and his assistant Roy Keane have made set-pieces a theme this week by emphasising their importance, and Brady was no different – adding that he would gladly accept the responsibility for taking them against Poland.

“Well, it's up to them, but I'd be more than happy to be taking the set-pieces if I am put in,” said Brady. “The last couple of days I've been hitting a few and I've been looking alright, so hopefully I get a run on Sunday and put it to good practice if it comes about.

“I like to try and perfect what I'm asked to do, so if that means going to hit an extra few free-kicks or corners or anything else [after training], I enjoy doing the few extra to try and make sure they're on key when the time comes to put them to show.”

As for the opposition this Sunday, Brady is under no illusions about the task facing the Boys in Green as they take on the leaders of Group D – though he was reluctant to call the game with Poland a 'must win' in so many words.

“Well, the idea is to go and win the game, especially at home – you'd think of yourself as a slight favourite playing in your home ground. It's a...I wouldn't say a must win game, but...a 'must win game', if you know what I mean!” said Brady to laughter.

“It would be excellent for us to get the three points we need to put us in good stead in the group, so we'll give our all. They've started well and they're a good side and it will be a big game, so hopefully we'll do enough to edge [it] out and do the job on Sunday.”