Last week, coach Heimir Hallgrimsson used his press conference to announce the squad for this week’s World Cup play-off semi-final against the Czech Republic in Prague (Thursday, 19:45 GMT) to confirm that he had signed an agreement to remain in charge until the end of the Euro 2028 campaign.
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O’Shea is hoping to stay but the most important thing on his mind is Thursday’s game as the Republic of Ireland look to remain in the hunt for a first World Cup appearance since 2002.
That came too early in the Waterford man’s career that he was not selected in the team by then manager Mick McCarthy, but O’Shea would appear at the 2012 and 2016 European Championships during an international playing career that saw him earn 118 caps.
When a journalist in Dublin mentioned on Monday that O’Shea had not played in a World Cup, he joked “hitting me where it hurts” but urged the current team to make their own history and for him, arriving at this summer’s tournament in North America as a couch potato would be very welcome.
“I’ve been very lucky in my career, but to have represented Ireland at a World Cup would have been a dream,” said the 44-year-old.
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“Knock on wood, we’re not far from the next best case.
“These are the opportunities you fight for at international level. This is the next step to get to a play-off final and then what can happen in the summer. These opportunities don’t come around too often and the only way to enjoy them is to win the game.”
‘We must produce superior performance’ – O’Shea
Miroslav Koubek took over as Czech Republic coach in December, replacing 74-year-old Ivan Hasek, who was fired following their defeat to the Faroe Islands in qualifying.
The Czechs hope the new coach can take them to the World Cup and O’Shea is wary of the challenge ahead but has urged his players to repeat the level of performance that saw them defeat Portugal and Hungary in November.
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“The group of players they have is respected,” he continued.
“Bringing the experienced coach that all the players who play throughout Europe in the main leagues and competitions already have…
“They have a good physical presence, so there is nothing that surprises you.
“It will be a good test for our guys and we will have to perform at the level we were able to achieve in the last camp and cause problems for them.”
‘Coleman brings confidence to the team’ – Collins
A major threat the Irish will have to contend with is the imposing presence of Czech striker Patrik Schick.
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The 30-year-old has scored 24 international goals in 50 appearances and has also scored 15 goals for Bayer Leverkusen this season.
Republic of Ireland captain Nathan Collins could be tasked with keeping an eye on Schick, but the Brentford defender predicts an “exciting” challenge.
“That individual battle in football is a little different now,” Collins said.
“I’ll need everyone around me, whether it’s in the midfield or the guys around me (on defense). It will be a duel, but it won’t just be one-on-one.
“There are a lot of great forwards in the Premier League. It’s a trend now, but it’s exciting.”
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Although the 24-year-old will wear the armband this week, Collins has paid tribute to veteran defender Seamus Coleman, whose return to the Republic of Ireland squad coincided with an improvement in results.
“The way Seamus is as a character and as a person, the effect he has on the team, is huge,” Collins added.
“He brought a lot of confidence to the team and has supported me a lot, taking on some of the roles to allow me to concentrate on my game.
“He has helped me a lot and having someone like him on the team is crucial.”