Forde making the most of changed Irish landscape and increase in opportunities

Fortunes

He refuses to be drawn on the contrast with the fortunes of Westwood at Sunderland, where the current Irish number one is a long-term fixture on the bench, but remarks: “I think I’ve been doing very well. I’m happy with what I’m doing. I just hope that it’s been noted.”

There’s certainly no sense of injustice on his part. “I’ve been long enough waiting for it,” he says. “And there were times alright when I thought the day would never come but for the moment it’s just great that I’m involved. To be in there, challenging Keiren along with Darren [Randolph] . . . it’s a dream come true really.

“I suppose it [his eventual rise] is down to a bit of everything, including luck. But I’m probably in the best shape I’ve ever been now fitness-wise and I am a far better goalkeeper now than I was 10 years ago. Back then it was all about the potential that I would have had where as now I think I’ve fulfilled a lot of that potential.”   He talks about learning to settle for “controlling the controllables” over the course of his career. Given, he acknowledges, was understandably unhappy with the way the European Championships went but, “maybe, looking at it afterwards, he may have thought he’d made a rash decision”.

Forde, however, can only do his best to make the most of the changed landscape and the increased opportunities it might bring. And on other fronts, events outside of his control may have conspired against him playing in the Premier League next season, something that might be expected to influence the pecking order at international level.

Departed

Much of their momentum was lost, he believes, when strikers Chris Wood and Darius Henderson departed for Leicester City and Nottingham Forest respectively, with the pair having scored 25 goals between them at that stage.

“Them going took a lot of goals out of the team alright,” he says. “But we played very well on Friday night against Villa (in the FA Cup; a game they won 2-1), that was a fantastic result for us. We know the potential is there.

“We’re a very young side but if we can stick together another unbeaten run like the one we managed early in the season there’s no reason why we shouldn’t challenge for those play-off places.”

He could almost be summing up Ireland’s ambitions in this World Cup qualifying group, a road on which, he insists, there is still a long way to go. “The main thing,” he says ahead of Wednesday’s friendly with Poland, “is for us to get back to the sort of form we showed pre-Euros, to start showing again what we can do.”

He might get another opportunity against the Poles to show what he personally can do too. If the last few years are anything to go by, then the chances are he’ll take it.

Long-term goalies second-string number ones

With Paddy Kenny and Joe Murphy out of favour with the current manager and most likely too old for the next one, most medium- to -long-term goalkeeping options have plenty of promise but struggle to get enough first-team action.

Darren Randolph

The Irish number three did the rounds in the English lower leagues during loan spells from Charlton Athletic, where he never quite managed to establish himself. The 25-year-old moved to Motherwell in July 2010.

Stephen Henderson

Perhaps the most highly-regarded of the next generation, the Dubliner (24) caught the eye at Portsmouth during the first half of last season, at which stage West Ham signed him.

Has yet to play a league game for them but recently had a 16-game run on loan to Ipswich Town and rejoined them during the transfer window after a permanent move to Blackburn Rovers collapsed.

Colin Doyle

Appeared to make his big breakthrough at Birmingham City in 2007 when he displaced Maik Taylor and helped the team to promotion. Having started the following season in the Premier League poorly, he lost his place and has been back-up to Jack Butland, who will leave for Stoke next season.

Rob Elliot

Made his league debut as a 17-year-old almost a decade ago while on loan from Charlton Athletic at Notts County. Played about 100 games for Charlton before heading to Newcastle United in 2011, where Tim Krul established himself as the first choice. Elliot and Steve Harper have, at least until recently, taken turns to sit on the bench.

Brian Murphy

Did well at Ipswich Town after his move from Bohemians but turned down the offer of a new contract, preferring what was reported to have been a far more lucrative deal at QPR . When the club started spending bigger money he slipped down the pecking order.

Ryan Meara

The big 22-year-old New Yorker expressed a willingness to declare for the Republic of Ireland last year and an attempt was made to call him up to an under-21 squad. The New York Red Bulls refused to let him travel but his form from then until he was injured in the autumn will have done little to dampen the interest.

Aaron McCarey

A possible starter for Noel King’s under-21s against the Netherlands next week, McCarey joined Wolves from Monaghan United a couple of years back and got a run of first-team games for Walsall while on loan there .

Seán McDermott

Having been let go by Arsenal last summer, the Norwegian-born teenager, who is also in the Ireland under-21 squad, returned to top flight side Sandnes Ulf . He was quickly thrown into the first team and played six games before the end of the season.

Mark Bunn

The 28 -year-old has had spells at Northampton Town, Blackburn and Leicester City before arriving at Norwich, where he has played regularly since replacing the injured John Ruddy. Though he qualifies to play for Ireland through his paternal grandmother, and has declared his interest in doing so , things have yet to reach that stage.