Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill has backed Cyrus Christie to fill the void left by injured captain Seamus Coleman.
Coleman faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines having broken his leg in two places earlier this year, but Christie came into the side and scored this evening as Ireland beat Uruguay 3-1 in an international friendly.
Christie had struggled with a number of injuries throughout the season just finished, but O'Neill paid tribute to the full-back's desire to get himself fit again.
"They're obviously big shoes to fill and Cyrus has always done well for us. In many aspects, he's unlucky that someone as brilliant as Seamus is in front of him," he told reporters.
"But he took himself off as well too to get physically fit before we even met up [for a training camp] in Cork. Credit to him, he's desperate to do well.
"I thought he was excellent today, and he was one of our better lights in the game against Mexico."
Ireland take on Austria in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
Barney Corkhill
