Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane said the victory over Italy to reach the last-16 of the European Championship was just rewards for their loyal supporters.
Martin O’Neill’s side upset the 2006 World Cup winners in Lille, with Robbie Brady’s late header ensuring their passage to a tie with hosts France in Lyon.
Thousands of Irish supporters have travelled to support the Boys in Green and they have been praised for their high spirits and good nature, though the scramble is on to get match tickets with a smaller reduced allocation against the tournamnet hosts.
Keane famously called for Irish players and fans to change their mentality after their Euro 2012 humbling.
“I think the players and even the supporters, they all have to change their mentality, it’s just nonsense from players speaking after the games about how great the supporters are,” he said in the aftermath of the 4-0 drubbing to Spain four years ago.
He was however fulsome in his praise for the supporters when addressing the media at the training base in Versailles.
“It was a great night. I think the players felt felt we owed the supporters something after Belgium game and we also felt we weren't ready to go home yet.
"The players really felt they wanted to give the supporters a night to remember. I just felt it in my bones and they did.
"We really had a strong feeling in the dressing room that we want to stay a bit longer. Hopefully that will be the case again after the next day."
"We knew when we got involved with the senior team a few years ago it was going to be a tough old road ahead, the qualification, the play-off, the group...so we're just really pleased for the players, the manager, the staff, the supporters.
"It was really great celebrations.and you saw what it meant to the players afterwards."
With a smaller ticket allocation available for Irish fans for Sunday’s encounter, Keane said it was "a shame" that here will be a smaller following in the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
“3,500 [tickets] seems a little bit unfair but you have to roll your sleeves up," he said at the trianing base in Versailles.
The former Sunderland manager was understandably in jubilant form after the final whistle, embracing O’Neill and sharing the moment with the players.
Keane joked that even when he is happy, people pass comment on his mood.
"I was happy. It's called being happy. You should try it,” he said when asked about his emotional state in Lille.
“Why are you making a big deal of it (hugging O'Neill)? I'm always hugging people. There’s just usually no people around. I hug my dogs, family, friends”.
"People made a song and dance about it the other night because we were happy. People either think you're too grumpy or too happy, you can't win."
After the disappointing defeat to Belgium, Keane reiterated that management trust in the players never wavered and singled the versatile match-winner for special praise.
"Like all good players, I think Robbie can play in a number of positions.
"If Robbie plays at left-back for us, he will do well in that position and in the middle of the park, he is more than capable of doing it because he has got the energy and the quality, the quality to look after the ball and the energy with five or 10 minutes to still get himself in the box.
“We talk about his delivery constantly, but there's a lot more to Robbie Brady than set-plays and we saw that with the goal the other night.
“It was a huge moment for him and you could see afterwards what it meant to the guy. It was fantastic, really great to see."
Turning his attentions to France, the 44-year-old acknowledges that the work ethic and intensity shown against Italy will have to be replicated to stand any chance of reaching the quarter-finals, and admitted that the hosts have gone about their business with minimum fuss this far.
Hoping to emulate their 1984 exploits by winning the competition on home soil, Les Bleus required last-minute winners against Romania and Albania before playing out a 0-0 draw Switzerland with progress assured last time out.
With the expectations of a nation resting on their shoulders, Keane says there is an opportunity for Ireland to possibly exploit as they depart for Lyon tonight with the tournament favourites firmly in their sights.
“I know the French have had a few more days extra to recover, so that's part of our jobs and the medical side of things, to make sure we are ready to go, and I am sure we will be, I don't think that will be an issue.
“It's just dealing with the [injured] players you mentioned and trusting the players to get on with the job. If they perform like they did the other night, you give yourselves a chance, its as simple as that.
“The big question is whether we can show the same energy levels against France.
For those who are under the impression #IRL assistant manager Roy Keane is never happy! #RTESoccerhttps://t.co/rerOPwhqID
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 24, 2016
“It doesn't look like the pressure of being hosts is getting to France, but it might do on Sunday. Let's hope so,” he said before batting away suggestions that revenge was on the cards for Thierry Henry’s infamous handball in 2009.
“We don't have that mentality, revenge doesn't come into it.”
Watch live coverage of France v Republic of Ireland this Sunday on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 1.00pm. Irish language commentary will be available to RTÉ2 viewers on Saorview and Sky as well as on RTÉ Player.
Listen to live coverage on RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday Sport.
