Seamus Coleman has said the future is bright for the Republic of Ireland team and the young players coming through can take the team to the next level.
Speaking in Dublin the Irish captain admitted that said it's disappointing not to be involved in the World Cup and backed France to win the tournament in Russia, saying they were 'special' when they played them in Paris two weeks ago.
However Coleman is not dwelling on the past too much and has plenty of hope for the future, particularly after seeing manager Martin O'Neill introduce so many new faces recently.
Graham Burke, Darragh Lenihan, Shaun Williams and Derrick Willians have all been blooded by O'Neill with all four featuring in recent friendlies.
"It’s great to see some new lads coming it, lads from the League of Ireland, it’s been great for everyone," Coleman told RTÉ Sport.
"But to finish with a win was really important. The France game was always going to be difficult, they’re one of the best teams in the world, but to finish with a win was always important for us all.
"To see lads get some caps and bring them in to what we’re all about and let them to get to know the place has been important.
"We’re starting to see the last of the very experienced lads, John O’Shea has just left us, so we were very blessed with that generation for some time.
"We might not have the same talent that group had but we still have the same commitment and desire and the lads coming through will be desperate to wear that green shirt.
"Hopefully they can step up to the plate and the manager will give them all the confidence they need to perform."
The stand out performer for Ireland in recent games has been 19-year-old midfielder Declan Rice and Coleman believes that he'll be a mainstay of the Irish team for many years to come.
"You’ve seen with Declan Rice, he’s been great for us. Three caps in, you never want to put too much pressure on people but he’s going to get that recognition now.
"I think the manager’s been great with him since he’s come in, he’s given him that licence to play and filled him with confidence, you can really see that.
"Declan’s a great player and more importantly, he’s a very good person around the place and you can tell he’s been brought up well, so we’re very lucky to have him."
