Memory Lane as Hughton relishes French connection

It's the evening of 13 June, and Chris Hughton is in Lisbon's Estadio da Luz on a scouting mission. He is watching England play France in Euro 2004 because the latter are in the Republic of Ireland's group for the World Cup qualifying campaign that opens this week. But Ireland's assistant manager could be forgiven if he had his eyes trained more on the dug-outs than the pitch. There sat France's coach, Jacques Santini, who, 10 days previously, had announced that he was decamping to Tottenham Hotspur.

That much Hughton knew. What he didn't know was whether after 11 years as a coach, working with six different managers, and an association going back three decades, he, too, had a future at White Hart Lane. Hughton, who combines working for Spurs with Ireland, was acutely aware of the speculation informing him he had not.

"When you have a new manager coming in, you do wonder," Hughton admits. "There is obviously that period of uncertainty." In the event he was offered a new contract and his duties, as first-team coach, were increased not diminished. "Am I surprised to still be here?" he says. "Yes, I am." Why has he survived so long at the one club then? "You'll probably have to ask other people that," is Hughton's not unreasonable reply.

The answer is that Hughton is a good, highly qualified and respected coach. He also acts as a foil - which is why Ireland's manager, Brian Kerr, asked him to be part of his team when he took over 19 months ago. And with 53 caps for Ireland, and a pedigree in top-flight football, Hughton had the credentials to win over a public and media sceptical as to whether the relatively unknown Kerr could cut it at the highest level. "I've known Brian for a while," says Hughton. "He's very well-organised, with a great knowledge of the game. He prepares well." As do most modern managers, Hughton notes: "Glenn [Hoddle] and Santini are both big on organisation too."

He doesn't say whether he will be picking the brains of his new club boss when it comes to Ireland's meeting with France on 9 October. But, Hughton says, there were enough lessons from the Lisbon match to offer encouragement. "You see qualities and areas in all games where you can go and win. You have to remember France didn't go through to the final," he explains. "And it was important that France played England, who are perhaps a similar team to us in that we play an English-type game."

He admits to relief that it isn't just Santini who will not be in opposition in Paris - the international retirement of Zinedine Zidane is a bonus. "I've mixed feelings," Hughton says, having been denied the challenge of stopping the world's best player. "But as you saw against England, he can produce that magic." One player to come out of "retirement", of course, has been Roy Keane. When Hughton's playing days were ending, Keane's were just starting. Hughton's last cap, against Chile in 1991, was Keane's first. "I've not really worked with Roy much before," says Hughton. "My career only just overlapped his."

But he is excited by his return. "Just watching him train you can see the player he is," Hughton says. "The quality he has. The respect he commands. I think that is especially important for the young players coming through. Here is the Manchester United captain, the captain of a fantastic side, which has won the Champions' League. It's a massive influence, and now we have that stature in central midfield. The fact that we did not qualify [for Portugal] showed that we missed Roy."

Ireland's Euro 2004 died last autumn in an abject defeat against Switzerland in Basle, when leadership, above all, was lacking. It was all the more galling as the Irish had hauled themselves up from a disastrous start to the campaign which had cost Mick McCarthy his job. The defeat meant the Swiss went through and they, of course, were also in England's group at the Euros, which provided another useful scouting mission for Hughton. As fate would have it, the Swiss have also been drawn again with Ireland in this campaign - the sides will meet in the St Jakob-Park Stadion in Basle a week on Wednesday.

"It's not about revenge," Hughton says. "It's about the points. It's the second game in our group [Ireland start the campaign by hosting Cyprus this Saturday] and it's only the points that matter. That has to be our attitude."

Nevertheless, the bitter disappointment is still there from last season's performance. "That result was one that affected us all," admits Hughton of the 2-0 defeat. "What was worse is that we did not just lose, we simply did not perform either. The pressure on the day, tactically we got it wrong. For whatever reason. But now we're going back there and we have to put that one to bed."

Ireland may have to do without Keane, who has cracked ribs, which will be a huge blow even if, as Hughton says, the squad is in the best shape it has been since Kerr took over. There is particular pride in the emergence of John O'Shea, Liam Miller and Andy Reid, and Hughton also points to Alan Quinn and Graham Barratt, who played during the summer matches, which included a notable victory against Holland in Amsterdam.

That win fuelled belief that the Irish will be able to hold their own against France even if they accept that their best shot of qualifying - from Group Four, which also includes an emerging Israel and the Faroe Islands - is via the play-offs. "My first reaction when France were drawn was, 'Oh God, we could have done without that'," admits Hughton. "But then it was, 'Yes, that's wonderful'. We have the chance to play against probably the best team in the world."

It's a challenge to relish; which, surely, being a manager in his own right would also be? Hughton admits "there are times when I think about the prospect of managing one day". It may have happened had Spurs fared better last season as he worked alongside David Pleat. Instead, he continues to prove his worth as part of the team.