Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni remains confident that the trio of players he sought to convince to return to international football will do so when they see his side improving.
The Italian held meetings with the Stephen Ireland, Andy O'Brien and Steve Finnan in Manchester earlier this month in an attempt to convince them to return for the training camp in Portugal or the games against Serbia and Colombia.
The latter pair had decided to retire from the international stage after failing to qualify for Euro 2008, while Ireland has remained tight-lipped on his self-imposed exile that is believed to have roots in his relationship with fellow squad members.
Finnan has indicated that he will return but wished to recover properly from injury over the summer.
Speaking this morning after his first win as Ireland manager, thanks to Robbie Keane's third minute goal against Colombia at Craven Cottage, the Italian said: "Many stars in other sports - Diego Maradona went and came back, the boxer Mike Tyson after six months had another life outside sport and did not come back immediately.
"I think, why am I again here? I love football, I cannot stay without football. I could not have two months without football.
"The players who say at the moment, 'no, I am staying at home', I am sure in the future when Ireland are playing well and have success, they will think, 'maybe I will come back'."
Whether the manager is privately confident that is the case is another matter but - despite victory last night and a late equaliser against Serbia this weekend - he is well aware that he needs all eligible players at his disposal if he is guide his side to the 2010 World Cup finals.
He will now have just one more friendly - in Norway in August - to finalise his preparation for a tough campaign, which kicks off with an away double in Georgia and Montenegro the following month.
On the possibility of success over the next two years Trapattoni this morning reiterated his insistence that the game at this level is about the tiniest of details, but teamwork is the most important.
"With that mentality and condition, psychological and physical,
why not?
"England on Wednesday, the first goal was scored from a
free-kick through John Terry. Football today is about corners,
free-kicks, set-pieces.
"With that mentality and condition, we have a good team. Two or three young players give us more strength and power, like [Liam] Miller and [Glenn] Whelan in midfield. They are not superstars, but they are very, very important in our midfield.
"Yes, we have Italy in our group and there are one or two stars who can score a goal from nothing. But it is never easy. It is about the moment in international football, one goal or missing one or two important players makes a big team like all the other teams."
The 69-year-old has sent his players on their break having given each of them some 'homework' for when they return to their clubs.
"I have written for each of our players, 'you need to do that, you need to improve this situation'.
"Sure, they will play like their coaches want them to, but they also have the possibility to improve because I have said to them, 'do that, that, that'.
"It is only a case of 10 or 15 minutes at the end of training. They are little details, but the little details are very important.
"They are training, I know, but 10 minutes more is enough for them to grow.
"I have written advice for all of them: 'It is important for you that, it is important for you that, it is important for you that. Congratulations on your time with us, but this is important."
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