‘The GAA ends up with a nice new stadium’ – Shamrock Rovers star says Casement Park should not be in Euros bid

Mannus is retiring from football after Rovers lift the League of Ireland trophy again on Friday night and his next step is to move full-time into a coaching role with the IFA that he has been juggling around his professional commitments with the Dubliners.

The 41-year-old has stressed there is no sectarian or ‘anti-GAA’ sentiment behind his words. He would prefer if Windsor Park hosted Northern Ireland’s games even though it falls short of the requirements.

Instead, the plan is for the stalled Casement renovation to be completed with support from the UK and Irish governments – if that does not come to fruition then the five games pencilled in will be moved outside the jurisdiction.

“On the one hand, I want the country to have the Euros and everything that comes with that,” said Mannus. “I think if they do it at Casement – and it’s nothing to do with it being GAA, it could be rugby, hockey, or whatever, but once it’s done, it won’t be used again for football. I just feel the money will be spent on it, they’ll have the Euros for whatever time and then the GAA will get that from it and football will get nothing.”

Mannus indicated that the use of Casement for premium football matches in the future could persuade sceptics but his opinion is that football in Belfast already has a home.

“I don’t think they’ll ever need it,” he said, “I think Windsor is big enough for what we have. If we ever play Germany or whoever it might be. England or Ireland. Maybe then they could use it. If that was the case, then fine but I don’t know if that would happen or if it would happen enough.

“Those are my thoughts on it. It sounds negative. What I’m saying might be based on limited enough knowledge but the stadium would get built, we’d have a few international games there but then after that the GAA ends up with a nice new stadium. If there is a definite benefit to football after it, then I would be for it but I haven’t done enough research to know if there is.

“Obviously I am all for Northern Ireland having the Euros. It’s just a shame it couldn’t be in Windsor. People will look at it as a sectarian thing but it’s nothing to do with that, it would be the same if they were doing up Ulster’s rugby pitch for us to play there because then rugby would benefit in the long term and football doesn’t.”

Mannus is also cold on the idea of an All-Ireland team or a cross-border league at some stage in the future.

“I think it’s good the way it is,” he said. “Clubs (in a league) would be relegated, some clubs would miss out. In terms of the international squad, there would be more players from the Ireland squad than (players from) Northern Ireland.

“I think it would take away from our development. Whereas now they see a chance to develop and get into the Northern Ireland team whereas if it becomes the whole island, there’s less chance for them to get in. The way it is now is OK for me.”