Next month will see the Republic finishing out their campaign (barring an increasingly unlikely scenario that would see them making it into a play-off) with a difficult fixture away to Netherlands, before facing New Zealand in an international friendly at the Aviva Stadium on November 21.

There is set to be a review into Kenny’s tenure at this point and while the general consensus is that the Dubliner’s reign at the international helm will soon come to an end, Bazunu and his Irish colleagues remain supportive of the current set-up.

“For us, I think, as a group we’re all united in that we’re very happy in the people we have around us. We’ve just got to find it within ourselves to continue to up our performances and get more results,” the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper remarked.

“Obviously it was a good result for us last night [Monday]. It was important that we went out and made sure that we did a professional job, and we performed really well. It was disappointing from the first game, but we showed really good quality last night to get the result.”

Before flying back to his current club base in Southampton, Gavin Bazunu was at FAI HQ yesterday – alongside FAI Director of Football Marc Canham and former Republic of Ireland women’s international Aine O’Gorman – to help launch a new pilot Scholarship Initiative for the League of Ireland that is aimed at helping young footballers to obtain full-time training while also completing their education.

This scheme will identify one 17-year-old boy and one 17-year-old girl, who are set to receive a salary as well as their schooling, covered in conjunction with going full-time at the professional club they’re affiliated to.

The genesis of this initiative was formed in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic when Bazunu – along with a number of his fellow professionals, including the likes of James McClean, Seamus Coleman, Enda Stevens and Cork native Kevin Long – raised a figure of €30,000 to put into a fund to help League of Ireland players through a very difficult period of time, with the help of the PFAI.

Prior to joining the Manchester City Academy a couple of weeks shy of his 17th birthday, Bazunu came through the ranks of reigning domestic champions Shamrock Rovers and made six first-team appearances for the Hoops in advance of his move across the water.

He also attended Ashfield College (a post-primary school that offers preparation for the Leaving Certificate examination) during his time at Rovers and therefore recognises how beneficial this initiative could prove to be in the long-run.

“That was a key part of me wanting to be involved in this, having gone through something similar. To be able to go to Ashfield College and be able to train from such a young age with the Shamrock Rovers first team. I know how much of a head start I felt that gave me as a young professional footballer,” Bazunu added.

“To be able to train with the likes of Joey O’Brien, Roberto Lopes, Ronan Finn. To be able to be exposed to those professionals at the age of 14 and 15, to be able to learn from them what it was like to be a professional footballer.

“For me, my day was always going into training, going to school at two o’clock, finishing at seven, half seven in the evening and for me that gave me a real understanding.

“That’s what we are trying to recreate here, give two people that chance to have that same understanding and same opportunity to become a scholar. Learn what it can be to be a professional footballer, but also to have a full education.”