Ireland's leadership void means that Stephen Kenny's successor cannot afford any more experienced players to follow James McClean out the door.

What has become increasingly obvious is the lack of on-field generals to hold others to account in the heat of international battle.

In the past that was something the national team had in abundance with club captains bringing their know-how to the party.

READ MORE:Stephen Kenny: 'Ambition can take you to the darkest of places'

That is very much in absence now as Kenny had no choice but to radically alter the age profile during his managerial reign while the number of players featuring at top clubs is miniscule.

Mark Sykes believes the likes of Seamus Coleman and Shane Duffy will want to stay on, even though McClean decided it was time to go at 34 - but it's a question of whether they are still able for both international and club football.

"Of course," said Sykes, relieved to get a first Ireland start on Tuesday night as Kenny's time in charge came to an end. "They would like to play as long as possible. I think it's their bodies that tell them when it's time to go, not their minds.

"I'm sure James would stay here until he is 100 if it was his mind telling him but, unfortunately, his body is telling him (otherwise).

"Every club or country needs experienced players. You can't just play with players with no caps or limited caps and try to get to big tournaments.

"We want as many senior lads in there as possible. But it's just uncertain times at the minute and not a lot of people know what's going on."

The end of the affair dominated Tuesday night's events at the Aviva Stadium and Kenny's tenure was ended by the FAI tonight.

For Sykes, however, the hope is that this is just the start, even if the dressing-room afterwards was unlike any he has been in.

"That's just due to James' situation and the uncertainty of what's going on (with Kenny)," said the Bristol City player.

"A lot of players don't know how to react or what to do or what to say. Everything is just up in the air but I'm sure there'll be clarity in the coming days or weeks.

Has the uncertainty affected players? "On a personal note, it doesn't affect me," said the 26-year-old. "But that's a question for everyone on a personal note.

"That's the campaign finished now for the year, isn't it? It's not going to affect anyone now.

"The next games are in March, so we'll just go from there. I'm sure all the lads will be there to back (the new manager).

"I've just experienced a manager change for the first time in my career at Bristol City. So I'm living it in terms of the experience on that front, but it's probably a question to ask of someone more experienced than myself."

Sykes, who hails from Belfast, caused a stir in 2020 when he switched allegiance from Northern Ireland, despite having played through the underage grades for the north and being called into two senior international squads.

But he didn't earn a call-up until March of last year and, having made the leap, Sykes had to bide his time to make his first start.

It finally came in the 1-1 draw with New Zealand as Kenny rewarded some fringe players for their dedication.

"It has been difficult, definitely," said the 26-year-old. "When you're not playing, you start to question, 'Are you good enough?', things like that, just stupid things.

"But I always bring it back to the bare bones - the manager is naming 23, 24 players in the whole country and you're one of them. So when you look at it that way, it's a proud achievement for me. Playing there in the first home game for myself is just amazing.

"All I can do is turn up and train as hard as I can. The manager obviously has a strongest XI that he tries to pick every time. Unfortunately, I haven't been in that.

"But I've probably done myself a little bit of justice there and proven that I can play at this level. Hopefully, it will stand me in good stead going forward."

The Bristol City player wanted to make a positive contribution in attack and did so, winning possession and providing the assist for Adam Idah's opener.

But in keeping with so many of Ireland's recent games, the team's performance unravelled and the hosts had to cling on for a draw.

Skyes summed up the feeling.

"Frustration, wanting to do better for a lot of people," he said. "It was obviously James' last game. It would have been nice to send him away on a good note.

"The manager was experimenting and played many players who haven't played many games before and it probably fizzled out a little bit in the end, but when the dust settles, I'll probably realise it was a proud moment for me.

"And the manager's in an uncertain time as well so the atmosphere is a bit strange at the minute. I suppose a win would have probably lifted a lot of people, but that's the end of a frustrating campaign. But more games to come next year, we'll see where we go from there."

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