Glenn Whelan has issued a rallying call to his Republic of Ireland teammates to end their World Cup qualifying campaign with a "bang" against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
The Boys in Green succumbed to a 3-0 defeat to Germany in Cologne in their penultimate fixture of Group C on Friday, ensuring that they will not progress to next summer's World Cup finals in Brazil.
However, the Stoke City midfielder has urged interim coach Noel King to field an attacking lineup next week in a bid to conclude their disappointing campaign on a positive note.
"We have got to finish on a high now, we know the group has been disappointing," the 29-year-old told reporters.
"For this game, Noel [King] spoke about defending but come Tuesday we would love him to let the reins off a little bit and go out on a high against Kazakhstan and give the fans something to cheer about.
"We have to go out with a bang."
The Irish currently sit fourth-placed in Group C on 11 points ahead of the final fixture.
Shane Callaghan
Netherlands
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