Andy Reid

German locations feature prominently in the story of the Irish football squad. In 1988, history was made in a field outside Stuttgart when Ray Houghton's goal led to a 1:0 win against England; in 2008 the setting was a hotel in Wiesbaden when Andy Reid scored a metaphoric own-goal against Giovanni Trapattoni. Sunderland's midfielder, increasingly seen as the most talented Irish player in the English Premiership, still doesn't feel he did anything wrong that night in Germany when the Ireland squad celebrated their World Cup qualifier win against Georgia in Mainz.

In Dublin earlier last week to open a new sports facility at Fatima Mansions and to launch his father and brothers' new taxi cab business, he said: "I don't feel I have anything to say 'sorry' for."

It's easy to picture the scene back in September last year as Reid borrowed a guitar, and along with Robbie Keane and teammates, got stuck into ballads of the rebel and Oasis variety. But so incensed was Trapattoni, that he not only clouted Reid around the head with a rolled-up newspaper, but has excluded him from the team ever since.

"It is painful, it is two o'clock, the table was like a pub with all the beer on it," he said a couple of months afterwards. "I haven't come here to be on holidays and sing songs and be up all hours. There has to be some discipline, authority."

In what could be a clip from The Godfather, 'Trap' went on to say that if Reid was his son, "I would go boom", mimicking the action of giving someone a kick up the backside. "But he is not my son." Does Reid care? Would it make him less of a man if he were to apologise?

The thing is, Reid is less of a man than a year ago, a whole stone-and-a-half less.

A conversation towards the end of the spring with his respected chairman at Sunderland, Niall Quinn, confirmed to Reid what he knew he needed to do – lose weight and get fitter. Instead of slacking off for the summer, the formerly tubby 'Pie Man' trained relentlessly and started the new season stronger than ever, physically and psychologically.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has also encouraged a frequent Man of the Match he describes as having "fantastic ability"; while his former boss at the club, Roy Keane, also referred to Reid's inventiveness on the pitch. "He just gives us something different; he is always trying things."

But Reid's transformation is all down to the man himself in his drive to prove his worth. "I feel I'm getting to the stage where I'm producing what he [Trapattoni] is looking for. Hopefully." He is also aware of the responsibility a footballer carries when playing at international level, and that "maybe I took it for granted before".

But responsibility is something that Reid has experience of from a young age: he became a father at the age of 16.

When he was born in Crumlin in 1982, Reid was already destined for a career in football: his father Bill played for St Pat's, his uncle Victor played for Shelbourne. Reid joined Nottingham Forest in 1996. Even then, he showed strength of character, turning down Manchester United and Arsenal.

"I chose Forest because they made me feel wanted, they had more time for me as a young lad."

But he was lonely in England, and found the regime tough. He wasn't enjoying football. Then he got a call from his girlfriend back in Dublin, telling him she was pregnant. When the baby was born, he reached a decision. "I don't enjoy being in England. I want to go home to my daughter," he told team manager Paul Hart. But Hart convinced the young player to see the bigger picture, that long-term, both he and his young family would benefit by his sticking to a career in football.

"I found it hard. I was torn between the two. But, maybe in footballing terms, it helped that she wasn't over here. I could talk on the phone and I could go home and see her, but when I was here I could concentrate on football. I sent back what I could financially. Her mother is great, really brilliant. She knew how much I wanted to be a footballer and she always said, 'That's what you have to do'. I'll always be grateful for that. The grandparents, mine and hers, looked after Saoirse. It's worked out well and Saoirse comes over to see me more and more the older she gets."

The Reid family, and his daughter, are regular visitors to his home in Durham where one room is fully devoted to music. It's filled with music books and his beloved guitars.

It's sadly not going to happen before Wednesday's second play-off against France, but if at some future date Trapattoni were to welcome him back, Reid has indicated he wouldn't be bringing along those guitars for any post match celebrations.

"If I was called back into the squad, then I wouldn't be going back to socialise, to shake anybody's hand, or to be overly nice to people. I would be going back to play football."

For his part, Trapattoni recently described Reid as "the perfect player".

He has also said he would like to stay on as manager beyond 2010. "I want to finish this work because I think we can do better. We can choose two or three new players because we have the possibility to make us into a really good team."

And if he chose the most obvious player of all, that would give a recession-struck nation something to really have a sing-song about.

Curriculum Vitae

Born: Crumlin, 29 July 1982; parents Bill and Dinah

Career: Watching his dad play for Fatima Rangers and St Pat's; joined Lourdes Celtic and Cherry Orchard; signed with Nottingham Forest (1996); Tottenham Hotspur (2005); Charlton Athletic (2006); €4m transfer to Sunderland (2008); debuted for Republic of Ireland against Canada (2003)

Personal: Lives in Durham; one daughter Saoirse (10)

In the news: Still excluded from Republic of Ireland squad as they face into second match of World Cup play-off against France on Wednesday