Anthony Barry won’t be afraid to speak his mind with Stephen Kenny as he could ‘hold his own with Presidents and Prime Ministers’.
The Ireland boss was thinking outside the box when he ushered in the Scouser, 34, as Damien Duff’s replacement.
Chelsea first-team coach Barry was unknown in Ireland until his elevation to the Irish ticket on Friday.
But his long-time friend Danny Ventre believes it was a shrewd move by Kenny and the FAI ahead of the World Cup campaign.
“Usually they go for someone obvious like an ex-Irish international, but Anthony will freshen it up,” the former Sligo Rovers midfielder told Mirror Sport.
“He speaks his mind and won’t agree with everything for the sake of it.
“On a night out, he’s not a Paul Cook where it’s stories, stories, stories. But he’s great company and can hold his own in any environment.”
And Ventre, also from Liverpool, laughed: “He could speak to Presidents, Prime Ministers or scally people. He gets on line with every type of character.
“He’s regarded as one of the top coaches in England and he’s only 34. I think he’ll be great for Ireland.”
Growing up on Merseyside, Barry and Ventre played with and against each other as kids and joined Liverpool’s schoolboy section at the same time.
Barry then served his apprenticeship at Everton while Ventre went to Chester but they joined forces again as pros at Accrington Stanley.
Later, they did their UEFA ‘A’ coaching badges together in Belfast where Ireland’s chief scout, Ruaidhri Higgis, was also on the course.
Higgins and Barry played together at Coventry and remained in touch with the former recommending the latter to Kenny as one to consider.
Barry spent his entire playing career in the lower leagues with clubs such as Fleetwood, Forest Green, Wrexham, Yeovil and, on three occasions, Accrington.
He retired at 30 to focus on coaching and pitched up as Cook’s first-team coach at Wigan for three years where Ireland’s Jack Byrne spent six months under their watch.
Barry and Cook had been team-mates at Accrington, where Cook was winding down his playing days before a managerial career that brought him to Sligo Rovers.
“Anthony was a little midfielder who wanted to get on the ball and play. He had a good engine,” said Ventre.
“He’s quite small so he wasn’t throwing people about but he was supremely fit and very good on the ball.”
Barry was on the same Pro Licence course as Frank Lampard and one thing led to another with a first-team job at Chelsea.
And new Blues boss Thomas Tuchel liked the cut of him so much that he kept him on after Lampard was sacked.
“We speak regularly and he’s a student of the game and knows what he’s talking about,” added Ventre.
“Cookie is no fool and I doubt Stephen Kenny is either. They want people beside them who know the game and Anthony won’t be a ‘yes’ man.
“If he thinks something is wrong or needs a strong voice, he’ll tell you. But behind all of that, he’s a proper person and all he wants to do is help people.
“He can speak to all kinds and isn’t fazed by anyone. Loads of top players speak highly of him. He takes time and helps them develop.”
Ventre continued: “Some Premier League players may have been wondering who Stephen Kenny was but he’s a top drawer manager in Ireland.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales - the game is the same and it’s about how you manage people.
“Anthony has no fear of coaching top players like Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech who speak well of him. He’s positive and enthusiastic and it’s a good move for Ireland.”
