Burnley are in turmoil but Stephen Kenny predicts their rising star Nathan Collins will be an important player for Ireland in the years to come.
Collins, 20, has played in 11 Premier League games since moving to the Clarets last summer and, with Ben Mee still out injured, will feature in today's crucial away trip to West Ham.
Having captained his previous club Stoke City while still a teenager, the 6'4" defender from Leixlip made a swift impact when he replaced Mee last October, impressing in particular in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.
He is getting game time again, despite a recent red card against Brentford.
But Burnley are running out of time to save their top flight status as they are currently in the bottom three and, on Thursday, their long-serving manager Sean Dyche was dismissed by the club.
For now, club captain Mee is part of an interim trio looking to breathe life into the Clarets' survival bid and, on the pitch, Collins is tasked with furthering that cause.
"Nathan is very mature for his age, lives and breathes the game and comes from a football family," said Kenny, referring to Collins' father, David, a former Ireland u21 international, and also referencing his uncle, Eamonn.
"He played a lot of games for Stoke for one so young and played in different positions.
"He played at right back, had a spell on the right of a back three and also as a centre back in a back four.
"He had good experience there but it's been a frustrating year at Burnley because (James) Tarkowski and Mee are such a seasoned pairing and very effective.
'They have been established at the club for a number of years so he had to wait for his chance for one or the other to be out of the team.
"Every time he has come in - he has had to play Manchester City twice - he is getting used to playing high level games."
Tarkowski is expected to move on in the summer - especially if the Clarets are relegated - and the door will be open for regular starts for Collins, although a new manager may have his own plans.
Having represented Ireland from u17 to u21 level, Collins made his senior international debut off the bench against Qatar last October before doing well as an impressive starter in last month's 1-0 win in the friendly against Lithuania.
"He is a confident player and he missed out last summer through injury for the summer camp we had," said Kenny.
"He would have definitely been involved in that window.
"So he would have been capped a bit earlier and then he came on against Qatar. He will be an important player for us.
"The three centre backs who have come through - (Dara) O'Shea, (Andrew) Omobamidele and Collins - are all important.
"You see with injury and availability that you need everybody at different times."
