McAteer praise for McCarthy

Jason McAteer has more reason than most to drool with anticipation as he looks ahead to the Republic of Ireland's World Cup play-off against Iran for a place in the finals in Korea and Japan.

The 30-year-old Sunderland midfielder goes into this weekend's first leg in Dublin and the tough trip to Tehran five days later with the memories of his 1994 adventure in the United States under Jack Charlton still burning bright.

"At the moment, the Irish set-up is absolutely flying," he said. "I was in on the back end of the Jack Charlton era and then Mick came in, and I never thought that would come back. The Jack Charlton players – your Ray Houghtons and Ronnie Whelans – was a very close-knit group and I never thought that would come back. But Mick's done an unbelievable job and it's as close as I've ever seen it, and I think that's what's getting us where we are."

McAteer, who has just joined Sunderland from Blackburn Rovers, sees similarities between McCarthy and his new manager at Sunderland, Peter Reid.

"I believe man-management gets the best out of players," he said. "You can eat well and you can train well, but if you're mentally not right, you won't get the best out of a player. When you've got a manager that can man manage, he'll get the best out of a player, and that's definitely what Mick McCarthy has done.

"You look at the success that Sunderland Football Club has had since Peter Reid's been here, and you've got to say the same about him."

A trip to the Far East next summer is an alluring prospect for a man who knows exactly what it is like to play on the biggest of football stages after going to the 1994 finals.