Seamus is not ready for this test

WANTING THE WORLD Hallgrimsson's men open their World Cup qualification campaign on Saturday week

- BY PAUL O'HEHIR

HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON set his sights on World Cup 2026 last night and declared: ‘This is it, now it gets serious’.

And the Ireland boss insists nothing - or nobody - is bigger than the goal of collecting points, after proving there's no room for sentiment by culling his captain.

Seamus Coleman has been left out of the squad for the opening two qualifiers against Hungary and Armenia and Hallgrimsson makes no apologies for it - not when theres no margin for error over a rapid three-month, six-game campaign.

Ireland’s most recent World Cup and Euro qualifying campaigns were both over within two or three games, under Stephen Kenny.

Staying involved to the death - and by any means necessary - is Hallgrimsson’s focus, at a minimum.

He’ convinced Ireland will quality.

“We went to Everton's training ground last Friday and spoke with our players there, and the coach, and he’s close to playing” said Hallgrimsson of Coleman.

“He's in their squad, his numbers and training are good, and he’ eager to start. He really wants to come and help us, and he knows the importance of this camp.

“Tt just shows his mental strength as well, coming from a bad injury, and just returning back to the Premiership.

Hopefully he'll get his minutes and he might even play in the League Cup tonight (against Mansfield Town), welll see.

“But once he starts playing, of course we really want to have him in the squad, but it would just be a wrong example picking a player that hasn't played for almost a year.”