Jack Byrne lit up Aviva Stadium on a sparkling Ireland debut against Bulgaria last month.
And his club boss Stephen Bradley believes the playmaker has all the qualities to be Shamrock Rovers’ match winner in tomorrow’s FAI Cup final against Dundalk.
Byrne has had a great first season in Irish football but one criticism levelled at him is that he has not done it against Dundalk.
The former Manchester City youth hasn’t had the run of those games like he has some others.
But Hoops gaffer Bradley reckons the big Aviva pitch will bring out the best of his star turn.
He said: “We have Jack Byrne, Graham Burke and Aaron McEneff and they have Patrick McEleney and Michael Duffy - there are match winners all over the pitch.
“We just have to bring our identity to the game and hopefully that is enough to win.”
Of Byrne, Bradley continued: “Jack is so clever and his football IQ is that high he would get space on small pitches, big pitches.
“He understands the game and he knows where the angles are and where the spaces are and I'm sure he will get space tomorrow.
“You’ll have two teams who fully believe that what they have on the pitch is enough to win the game.
“The two teams will take teach other on, go head-to-head and they have match winners all over the pitch.
“You can never say what will happen on the day but we’ll go there to win the game and I’m sure Dundalk will be the exact same.”
And Bradley reckons tomorrow’s game could entice newcomers to League of Ireland terraces all around the country.
“If you’ve never been to a League of Ireland game, if you come on Sunday, you’ll see the best two teams.
“It’s a really good advertisement for the league and hopefully both teams can bring their best and the neutral who has not been to a game will come back next year.”
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