'Great human' Coleman helped me on debut - Ndaba

Corrie Ndaba has praised "great human" Seamus Coleman after he made his Republic of Ireland debut against Qatar.

Lecce defender Ndaba was introduced as a second-half substitute in the 1-0 win in Dublin, that was twice interrupted in protest against the upcoming Nations League matches with Israel.

After making his long-awaited international debut, 26-year-old Ndaba said it was the "best day of my life" and said experienced defender Coleman played a key role in helping him to settle in.

"Before we came to the stadium, Seamus gave a speech to the lads about how much it means to play for the green shirt," he said.

"It gave me goosebumps."

Ndaba added that Coleman, who won his 80th cap in the friendly, is someone he has looked up to throughout his career.

"Watching from afar you can see he is a leader on the pitch, but being able to be close with him and train with him, I've only been with him a few days but I can only speak highly of him.

"He has given me a lot of advice and he's a great human, first and foremost,and a great player."

Ndaba said that it was a "dream come true" to make his international debut. He came through the academy at Ipswich Town and, after a number of loans, made a permanent switch to Kilmarnock in 2024.

After impressing in Scotland, Serie A side Lecce came calling last summer and he helped the club avoid relegation from the top flight.

"Collectively to win and get a clean sheet, I'm really happy," added Ndaba, who joined Mason Melia and Jaden Umeh in making their senior debuts on Thursday.

"Hopefully there are many more to come. It has made me more hungry and more motivated.

"I'm 26 now and my career has had a lot of ups and downs, so having my family there was a special moment. It just goes to show that if you keep putting the work in then these things can happen."