JOHN O’SHEA is refusing to let his “incredible” ride with the Republic of Ireland cloud his judgment as acting boss.

O’Shea was a youth star for his country, winning 118 senior caps before his last game in 2018.

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The ex-Manchester United defender, 42, has stepped up his role as assistant to Stephen Kenny, who left in November after failing to qualify for Euro 2024.

O’Shea will officiate today’s friendly against Belgium and Tuesday’s match against Switzerland.

He said: “It is an incredible honor to represent Ireland under 15s and captain your country.

“It’s great to be a manager now and I’m very proud of it.

“When you get the players together to chat for the first time it sets the tone and I’ve kept it very simple in terms of the staff I’ve brought in.

“I will then look at those connections, but also at the lessons from the two games and how we are progressing.

“I just want to concentrate on the staff, myself and the players.”

O’Shea named Southampton defender Ryan Manning in his squad on Friday after recovering from injury.

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However, O’Shea is forced to battle with withdrawals Troy Parrott and Liam Scales.

Sammie Szmodics, the Championship‘s top scorer with 21 goals for Blackburn, is set to make his Republic of Ireland debut.

Lyon defender Jake O’Brien and Middlesbrough midfielder Finn Azaz could also receive their international bows from O’Shea.

GARETH SOUTHGATE has broken his silence on speculation linking him with Manchester United.

The England boss, 53, has been mooted as a potential successor to Erik ten Hag should the Red Devils boss get the chance this summer.

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When asked about a possible move to Old Trafford, Southgate insisted his focus is solely on Euro 2024.

He said: ‘I’m definitely not going to talk to anyone else.

“I’ve never done that, I’ve been working for eight years and would never enjoy talking to anyone else while I have a job, so I don’t know if that answers your question.

“My focus is on the European Championships. If we had signed a contract here before, everyone would say: ‘Why are you signing a contract before the European Championship where you have to prove yourself?

“From my point of view there are two things. First of all, I’m the manager of England and I really only have one job: to try to deliver a European Championship.

“Obviously I have two important games this week.

“And the second thing is that Manchester United has a manager.

“I always find it completely disrespectful when there is speculation about a possible manager.

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“I am chairman of the LMA, so I don’t have time for that kind of thing.”

According to Air sportsMan Utd have not yet made a decision on Ten Hag’s future.

They add that the Red Devils continue to make plans for next season with the Dutchman at the helm.

Manchester City defender John Stones was asked whether he would prefer Southgate to stay in England rather than move to rivals Manchester United.

Stones said: “Personally I want him here, but it would be disrespectful to talk to a manager about a team if, in my view, it comes out of nowhere.”

FANS say Gary Neville is “never wrong” after his England squad prediction came true.

The Three Lions take on Brazil at Wembley on Saturday before taking on Belgium on Tuesday.

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However, England boss Gareth Southgate will now have to make do without Arsenal star Bukayo Saka.

The 22-year-old arrived at camp with an injury and has now returned to the Gunners for rehabilitation ahead of his club’s upcoming title clash with Manchester City on March 31.

That’s a move that Manchester United and England legend Neville eerily predicted during the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky betwhich was filmed earlier this week.

He said: “I have a good feeling that Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice or Phil Foden will withdraw from the second match against England this break.”

Neville later added: “The Arsenal players may not withdraw from the games in England because they have had a few extra days of rest from not playing in the FA Cup.

“But there is a part of me that thinks they need to keep the momentum going and keep playing, especially when England have two games against strong opponents in Brazil and Belgium.

“I think Harry Kane might pull out the second game. He could play one game or make a deal.

“We refer to it because [Erling] Haaland and [Kevin] De Bruyne. I mentioned it a few weeks ago. I said there will be a withdrawal in March and straight away the two best players for City are out.”

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Although Neville had predicted it would be the Belgium game that one of the Gunners’ big hitters would miss, fans were still impressed by how right he was.

One person posted on

“He knows ALL the tricks in the handbook for winning title races.”

Another wrote: “He’s been seen there 100 times. No one knows title races better than this man.”

While a third added: “He’s never wrong is he.”

Saka is not the only Arsenal player who will not be present in the match against England on Saturday. Gunners defender Gabriel has also withdrawn from the Brazil squad.

Neville was part of Roy Hodgson’s England staff for a number of years and explained why the March international break was always difficult.

He added: “Obviously I coached with Roy Hodgson for four years and when players pulled out knowing they were probably not injured you were furious. But that also happened during our lifetime.

“The clubs think: ‘We’re playing against the players, we’re having a clash and we can’t afford to lose them.’ “We have Champions League football and that’s huge for us. Or we get a title, quarter-finals or semi-finals of the Champions League.” And that’s why there is that push and pull.

“This friendly match in March is a bad one. It’s during a title run and Champions League games.

“As far as I’m concerned, this should be played again somewhere, because you’re really thinking about ‘club’ and not country.

“Country starts in about May, when the season is over and you have a tournament.”

HARRY MAGUIRE says England stars want Gareth Southgate to stay out of the Euros.

Southgate is expected to retire after his fourth major tournament in Germany this summer – with the Three Lions favorites set to win their first trophy since 1966.

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But despite Southgate, 53, being touted as the successor to Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, Maguire claims he would prefer to see him as his international rather than club manager.

Ahead of hosting Brazil tomorrow, defender Maguire said: “We want to be successful at the European Championship. We don’t watch the World Cup; the European Championship is our main goal.

“And if Gareth is the man who will make us successful, then we want him to stay as long as possible.

“He has the respect of the players and everyone who worked under him.

“It’s so tough being England boss. It is one of the most researched jobs in the world.

“All you can look at is where we were before he took over and where we are now. Everyone will say: ‘Yes, but we have better players now’.

“But in previous years we had great players and we were not successful.

“He deserves a lot of credit, he has helped us a long way.

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“If you speak to anyone they will speak highly of Gareth’s tactical management, but also his man-management.”

Southgate’s contract expires in December and will not discuss a new deal until after the European Championship.

But it is believed he would prefer a return to club management.

Maguire was a cornerstone of England’s defense as they reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 European Championship, before a quarter-final exit in Qatar in 2022.

But the United man added: “I’m sure Gareth will say the same thing now: ‘it’s all about winning a trophy’.”

Maguire, who has won 62 caps under Southgate, was backed by the Lions boss even as he struggled for game time at United.

He added: “The faith and trust he has shown in me has been brilliant.”

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford claims the players will not be swayed by speculation over Southgate’s future.

He said: “Our goal is to win the European Championship. All the noise around everything else comes after.”

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HARRY MAGUIRE knew Kobbie Mainoo had the wow factor when he first set eyes on his young teammate.

Now Maguire is determined to help the 18-year-old through the uniquely intense pressure that comes with playing for both Manchester United and England.

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The centre-back is adamant about playing in the goldfish bowl at Old Trafford, meaning United’s English players – such as Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and himself – are scrutinized more heavily than those from other clubs.

And that could serve as a warning for Mainoo as he enjoys a honeymoon period as an immensely talented United rookie celebrating his first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Maguire has emerged from a professional slump – when he was largely shut down by United boss Erik ten Hag – to re-establish himself as a regular starter for England and its most famous club.

And now he believes Mainoo has the chance to join him on the plane to Germany for this summer’s Euros.

Maguire said: “I have been a huge fan of Kobbie since he first started training with us.

“I remember talking to Tom Heaton about him and saying, ‘I feel like this kid has everything.’

“He handles the ball brilliantly. He is very strong and powerful, and you can see his progression to play that number 6 role, especially for United.

“The ‘six’ role is a huge responsibility and I am sure the positional part of his game will improve dramatically.

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“You have seen how much skill and talent he has, and he fully deserves his call-up. A role and responsibility for the senior players at Manchester United is bringing in players from the youth academy.

“The club has always been built on giving young people opportunities. Many of them train a lot with us, we try to make them feel welcome and we did that to Kobbie.”

Maguire compares Mainoo to Jude Bellingham – who made his Three Lions debut at the age of 17 – in terms of his remarkable maturity.

The United defender said: “I wasn’t worried about Kobbie.

“It’s unbelievable that he’s only 18, he’s so mature. He looks a bit like Jude when he was a young boy. He has an adult head on his shoulders.

“I see his capabilities in training day in, day out. I congratulated him, he absolutely deserves this. He has been excellent for us this season.”

When asked if Mainoo could be part of England’s European Championship team, Maguire replied: “I don’t see why not.

“To play in a big tournament it is important to have experience, but also the young people come in and sometimes they play without fear and can excel.

“We have a lot of good centres, players who have shown they can do it in big tournaments.

“He will continue to work hard, I’m sure, because he is a great boy. And we’ll see where it goes.”

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Maguire’s own place in England has been the subject of debate for years, with Southgate remaining loyal to the 31-year-old, who is expected to win his 63rd cap against Brazil on Saturday evening.

Last autumn, as Maguire emerged from United’s first team, he scored an own goal in a 3-1 win over Scotland while facing dog abuse from the crowd at Hampden Park.

At the time it seemed unlikely he could force his way into Ten Hag’s United plans and prove himself as England’s first-choice player at the European Championship, but the Yorkshireman has since turned his form around.

However, Maguire believes being a United player has increased the spotlight.

He said: “Different clubs have different levels of control and that is a big aspect when fans see Gareth choosing a squad.

“I could have played for Leicester and had one bad game, six good ones, a couple of bad ones, and everyone would think I’m in great form.

“When I do that for Manchester United, it doesn’t happen like that.

“Fans see the control. Every goal we concede is analyzed and that’s the pressure of playing for United.

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“You see it a lot in careers in England. You keep building up and then you have to maintain that level to stay there, otherwise you get knocked out pretty quickly.

“Everything you do when you play for a big club is analyzed.

“Every player who has played for United and England has had a time when people have not been happy.

“Beckham had a lot, even Wayne Rooney had said a lot and he was one of the best players to ever play for his country.

‘Wayne has experienced times when he was criticized. But it’s part of playing for such a historic club. I wouldn’t change it.”

Maguire thanked Southgate for showing faith in him during difficult times but claims his England form merited his continued inclusion even if he was not a United regular.

He said: “There are a lot of people now who probably don’t think I should be in the squad. There are millions of people who think I should be.

“But given the way I have played for my country in previous tournaments and matches, the fact that I didn’t play for my club as regularly as I should for six months shouldn’t really be a guarantee that I won’t be included in a squad included. Because when I did play for my club, country, I performed well.”

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MANCHESTER UNITED legend Roy Keane accused former teammate Gary Neville of “insulting” him during a heated debate.

The pair discussed which position is easiest to play on the field during an episode of the Stick to football podcast.

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Ex-midfielder Keane argued: “Right back is the easiest position to play”, prompting Arsenal legend Ian Wright to agree, saying: “Yes, you can see everything, you can get on the pitch.”

But Neville, who played at right-back for both Man Utd and England, claimed: “I think that’s subjective, to be honest. Because I think if you play against a wide player who’s quick and has some skill, right back is not easy.”

The England star pointed to Keane and continued: “When you’re in midfield against players who can’t pass the ball…”

However, Keane quickly intervened and said: “Put it like this, I went to right-back, listen. I did a decent job for the team. I know we were strong. You couldn’t go into midfield and do what I was. ” doing.”

Wright went on to say: “Because it (playing right back) is easier to do! You’ve done brilliantly as a right back, but it was easier to do.”

Neville then joked: “I think my career has been ridiculed for 10 years,” before claiming that centre-forward or goalkeeper is the most difficult position.

But eventually, after a long discussion in which Neville suggested midfielders don’t run as much as full-backs, Keane said: “You’re insulting me a bit. I’ve got a few insults coming my way!”

After making his senior debut in 1992, Neville played more than 600 games for Man Utd.

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Meanwhile, Keane made 476 appearances for the Red Devils during his time at Old Trafford.

The pair also discussed how much Keane, who set United back £3.75million in 1993, would be worth in the current transfer market.

Neville argued: “What was Declan Rice? £100 million. You would be worth £100 million.”

And as Keane sipped his drink, he casually replied, “I thought so.”

GARY NEVILLE joked that Ian Wright’s FA Cup semi-final draw “didn’t feel right” after fans accused it of being “fixed”.

The draw took place at Old Trafford on Sunday, after Manchester United’s thrilling 4-3 win over Liverpool.

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The Red Devils played Championship side Coventry, while holders Manchester City were paired with Chelsea.

But the manner of the draw sent many fans into a frenzy as Wright selected the balls in front of Roy Keane and Graeme Souness in the studio.

They remained seated as Wright rummaged around in the famous velvet bag before showing the numbers to the camera.

And the viewers were not told in advance which song belonged to which team.

The casual atmosphere was a far cry from most draws, which usually take place in a much more formal setting.

Teams were also drawn directly from the bag rather than first being placed in a hat as is traditionally the case.

And Manchester United legend Neville spoke about the bizarre format when speaking to Arsenal icon Wright during the latest edition of Stick to football.

He said: “That didn’t feel right at the end, you pulled it out like a Marks and Spencer bag.”

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Lioness legend Jill Scott then wondered why “nobody laughed” about Wright’s comment about shaking his “ball sack.”

Before the ex-Gunners man replied: “Do you know how many people went crazy over that?

“It’s only four balls. I think people were a bit upset about the fact that we didn’t know who was one, two, three and four.

“But the most important thing is that they are so strict on ‘don’t look in the bag, make sure the bag is closed properly before you open it so you don’t look’.

“People end up saying, ‘What’s he doing the Stevie Wonder for?’ I wasn’t doing Stevie Wonder, I was just making sure I wasn’t looking in so much [moves his head away] and it looked like Stevie Wonder.

“But I didn’t want people to say, ‘Ah, that draw was wrong.’

“People still slaughtered you, but I thought it was a great draw.”

There is no evidence that claims the draw has been fixed.

BRUNO FERNANDES told new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe he wants to stay to lead the new era at Manchester United.

But the Red Devils captain made it clear that he expects to compete for top honors again.

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The Portugal international, 29, is under contract until the summer of 2026, with the option to extend for another year.

Fernandes said: “I have already met with the new owners. They want to meet the players and have already done so individually.

“And that is exactly the message I passed on. I want to stay here, I want to be part of a project with feet, legs, torso and head.

“Everything we need to compete with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, the clubs that have been in the best form.

“I want to participate, I want to win.”

Fernandes knows that he cannot be guaranteed a Premier League title in the short term.

He added: “I don’t want to be promised that we will become champions.

“Whatever club I go to, I don’t expect them to be promised something from the start that they can’t deliver.

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“What I have always asked for and what I want from the club is that we are competitive.

“We haven’t been there this year and we don’t have to hide that.

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“The season has been below our expectations, at least below mine.

“And I also think it is below the club’s expectations because they are not used to being in these positions.”

Despite a turbulent season in the Premier League, with United 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, there is still hope for some success this season.

Man Utd booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 4-3 win over Liverpool in the quarter-finals last weekend.

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RASMUS HOJLUND has dismissed the idea that there was internal resistance from his teammates following his interview with The United Stand.

The Manchester United striker spoke to the controversial owner of the fan channel, Mark Goldbridge, last month.

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This was reported by the Daily email that Goldbridge had received a number of death threats after the interview and a police investigation was launched into the online fears.

Although it was also suggested that some Man Utd players had expressed frustration with Hojlund over the interview, with the Goldbridge broadcaster known for being critical of the Red Devils players at times.

However, the 21-year-old has dismissed claims from his teammates who did not like the interview, labeling it as ‘fake news’.

He told Danish media: “Nothing was said to me, so it is fake news.

“I haven’t read anything about it, but it’s absolutely not true that I was told I can’t do an interview with one fan media or another.”

Hojlund agreed to the interview with Goldbridge and The United Stand to fulfill a promise he made after joining from Atalanta for £72 million in the summer.

The United Stand itself say they have received warnings to Goldbridge that he is “a dead man walking” while others threaten to harm him if he returns to Old Trafford after the interview.

And the messages sent on social media also included “other staff members and the exact location of the studio.”

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The divisive channel has amassed a huge following online since it was founded more than a decade ago.

The outlet’s YouTube site has a whopping 1.83 million subscribers, while the official X account tops that with 2.3 million followers.

Goldbridge – whose real name is Brent Di Cesare – previously discussed the backlash, saying: “I completely understand that football is a passionate and divisive sport, and that people are free to decide and have an opinion about the content they consume .

“However, the disruption some of our employees experienced this weekend was incredibly sad to see.

“Threatening people’s lives is further evidence of the vicious pack mentality prevalent on social media.”

Rasmus Hojlund is currently on international duty as Denmark prepares for clashes with Switzerland and the Faroe Islands.

But all eyes will then return to the Premier League for the striker, with United taking on Brentford, Chelsea and Liverpool after the break.

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KOBBIE MAINOO says his aim is to break into England’s European Championship squad after a ‘whirlwind’ rise in Gareth Southgate’s senior squad.

The 18-year-old Manchester United midfielder is in with a chance of making a Wembley debut against Brazil on Saturday or against Belgium next Tuesday – after just 23 appearances for his club.

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And Mainoo said: “That is the end goal of the season, to get into that (Euro) selection.

“I have to concentrate on club football in the meantime and hopefully that will work itself out.

“Hopefully we have a good training camp and get two wins and hopefully I get my first cap.

“There is a lot of time between now and Germany. If I go back to my club and perform well and do what I need to do, then hopefully it will all align.

“It would be an honor to make the plane.”

Mainoo was called up to the England Under-21s for the first time last week, but the Stockport-born teenager impressed during United’s epic 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool and was quickly moved up to the senior Three Lions party.

And Mainoo said: “It’s been a pretty crazy few days. Sunday was a great game and a great win. When I got called up to the Under-21s it was great to get here and realize I was in the first team.

“I was shocked and happy and it was a whirlwind of emotions.

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“Gareth was very good, very welcoming, made me feel comfortable here and told me what my role would be if I played.”

Mainoo has represented England at youth level but is still eligible to play for Ghana.

And he said: “I am proud of my Ghanaian heritage, both my parents are from there.

But it’s a great opportunity to be with England and I’m enjoying it.”

Mainoo was already a United fan in his youth, but also names Brazilian legend Ronaldinho as his favorite player.

When asked to name his heroes, Mainoo replied: “I would say Wayne Rooney. Paul Scholes too. And King Eric (Cantona). He was a little before my time, but I still appreciate him.

“And Ronaldinho played with a smile on his face, and he played freely.

“I think everyone loves Ronaldinho. How can you not? I mean, he was a great player.”

“Brazil is such an iconic team and it would be great to play against them.”

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