John O'Shea is confident Manchester United teammate Darron Gibson will soon join him as a regular in the Republic of Ireland team.

Gibson was a shock choice by manager Giovanni Trapattoni to replace the injured Steven Reid after shining in last week's B team win over Nottingham Forest.

While his first senior start for Ireland proved a tough experience, O'Shea is convinced he has what it will take to prosper in senior international football.

He said: "He was fantastic. I know what Darron is all about.

"The manager pulled him in for the game against Nottingham Forest last week and he was happy with what he saw.

"He is not a player for the future, he is a player for now. He has fantastic ability and fingers crossed, he can show it."