McCarthy celebrates that amazing win over Holland.

They say that a football team often displays the same qualities as its manager. That's certainly the case with Mick McCarthy and the Republic of Ireland.

Character, guts, intelligence and more than a touch of class sum up the men in green, and their manager.

McCarthy took over the post in 1996, with virtually an impossible act to follow - one Jack Charlton.

But the uncompromising Barnsley-born former central defender has done everything expected of him, and more.

No sooner had the 2002 World Cup qualifying draw been made, journalists were already writing obituaries for this Irish team.

Grouped with world giants Portugal and Holland - both Euro 2000 semi-finals - and only one automatic place and one play-off spot to play for.

Surely they didn't have a chance.

Anybody who thought that was sorely mistaken as McCarthy led his team on a glorious march to the Far East.

They served notice of things to come by going 2-0 up in their opener in Holland before the Dutch came back to draw 2-2.

And then came even better and a 1-1 draw in Lisbon against the Portuguese - Figo et al.

Those two results set the tone for the whole campaign.

The Republic dispensed easily with opposition they were expected to beat.

And when they took on somebody supposedly better, they got in the trenches and fought.

The crowning moment surely came against the Dutch at Lansdowne Road last September.

Down to 10 men against a team creating chances at will, the Irish somehow managed to win 1-0 on a memorable afternoon in Dublin.

Then followed the play-off success against Iran, and the job was complete.

But McCarthy won't see it that way - he'll want yet more from his side.

His roots tell you just what sort of a man he is.

Brought up in South Yorkshire after his father came to England in search of work, McCarthy wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

He made himself into a professional footballer, and a good one at that.

An international career with the Republic, and club success with the likes of Barnsley, Celtic and Manchester City, proved his quality.

Once into management he cut his teeth with Millwall, before moving onto the international scene.

A quick learner, McCarthy has turned himself into one of the best coaches around.

A great motivator, he gets the best out of his players, and then some.

Goes into the finals with speculation over his future settled after recently signing a two-year contract extension.