Losing 2-1 to Belarus who are 45 places below them in the FIFA rankings wasn't the best of Euro send-offs for the Republic of Ireland, but it did give James McClean another chance to convince the manager he should be a nailed-on starter on June 13 when Group E proceedings kick-off against Sweden in the Stade de France.
While the majority of his teammates appeared to be in "After you, Claude/Yuri" mode, the recently married Derryman closed down, tracked back, tackled and generally got stuck in with the same gusto he displayed all season in the Premier League with West Brom who will consider the £1.5 million they paid Wigan for him money well spent.
"That's the only way I know how to play," McClean says. "I don't really do friendlies; once I cross the white-line I always give it my all. It was great that the game was played at a League of Ireland ground, but the Turner's Cross pitch is quite narrow, which meant we couldn't play our usual wide game. The lads knew there were places in the squad up for grabs so there was no lack of commitment. We definitely struggled a bit to adjust to the pitch, though, which won't be a problem in Paris. I was delighted to get another 78 minutes under my belt and not pick up any knocks."
Indeed, the 27-year-old is positively exuding good health as he relaxes after morning training at Fota Island where Ireland have been billeted during their stay in the Real Capital.
It was very apparent from Ireland's qualifying games that McClean and Robbie Brady bombing down the respective left and right flanks is a major part of Martin O'Neill's gameplan.
"Yeah, I like to attack and create as much as possible but as the old cliche goes, I'm not too bothered where I am as long as it's somewhere on the pitch," James resumes. "I'll take any job asked of me and hopefully fight my way into the starting line-up. Martin O'Neill saw me play a couple of times as a lone striker for Wigan, and has had me do the same for Ireland on a few occasions, which has given me an extra string to my bow. Whether it's 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or a diamond, we've played quite a few formations and are comfortable with all of them. If there's a need to shake things up during a game, we can do it no problem. It makes it far harder for opposition teams to stick to their gameplans when we can switch like that."
When James last spoke to Hot Press in 2014 he told us how pivotal Martin O'Neill and his old Derry City boss Stephen Kenny had been to his career. To that list can now be added West Brom gaffer Tony Pullis. "I find him really great, to be honest," his number 14 enthuses. "He gave me my chance back in the Premier League when other managers might have thought I was a bit of a handful! I played 42 games in all competitions this season, so he's shown he has faith in me and hopefully I've rewarded him with more good performances than bad ones. I definitely think my confidence and consistency levels are higher than they've ever been before. In one way it was a good season but also a frustrating one because we drew a lot of games and narrowly lost others 2-3, 1-2, 0-1. There weren't too many occasions where we were outclassed and with a bit of luck we could have got a top 10 finish."
Asked what the highlight of his club season was, James immediately shoots back: "Beating Man-U 1-0 at the Hawthorns. They're not the force maybe that they once were, but they're still a top quality side and adding a win against them to my C.V. was very pleasing. As a kid all the talk in my house was of Man U and Eric Cantona. I worshipped Roy Keane, so I'm still pinching myself before games!"
One of the 2-3 reversals mentioned was a Hawthorns thriller against Leicester City in which Mahrez scored a brace and Vardy, who else, guaranteed that all three points went back to the King Power.
"I'm not going to lie, I was one of those people who thought, 'Ah, they're going to fade away.' Everything you thought you knew about football said it was impossible for them to win the league. When I changed my mind was the day they went to the Etihad and turned Man City over 3-1. They went on and delivered, which is something we might never seen again."
I'm sure there's been some quality Euros banter with West Brom's Northern Irish duo, Jonny Evans and Gareth McCauley, and lone Welshman James Chester who could at some point be lining up against James in France.
"There was a bit of banter between us, yeah, but mainly we ganged up on the Scottish boys!" he chuckles mischievously. "Where are youse going on your holidays? Florida? Nice. Send me a postcard from there and I'll send you one from France!' I waited until we'd beaten Bosnia in the play-offs and then ripped into them."
McClean is thrilled that along with himself there are eight other players - Stephen Ward, Seamus Coleman, David Meyler, Shane Long, Shane Duffy, Wes Hoolahan, Stephen Quinn and Darryl Murphy - in the squad who've played domestic football here.
"That's one in the eye for people who say 'Ireland doesn't have a league'," he says possibly taking a potshot at Giovanni Trapattoni for whom Turner's Cross' existence would have been a major surprise.
"I think it's a brilliant place to start your career because you're playing against experienced, fully-grown pros rather than skinny teenagers like yourself. My brother Patrick, who's either a left-footed centre-half or left-back, started this season with Derry and the coaching he's getting couldn't be better. He's the youngest of us three boys, but also the tallest by far and if he knuckles down and works hard I think he's got a very good chance.
"Derry's a great club to learn your trade at. You're getting used to playing in front of biggish crowds and dealing with the media, which you don't get in an English Under-21 side. A lot of the other Ireland lads dealt with it really well, but personally I'd have found it difficult going over to England when I was 15 or 16. Being able to do my growing-up whilst playing for my home club was great. There'll be two more League of Ireland lads in the Premier League next season as a result of Stephen going up with Burnley and David winning the playoffs with Hull City.
Had David Meyler sobered up by the time he joined the Ireland squad in Cork?
"He's a real pro and had to be here the next day, so I think he left the celebrating to the rest of the Hull City lads. David's a good friend of mine. He was at Sunderland when I arrived and took me under his wing, which I'll always be grateful to him for. David and Stephen have both played a lot of games and developed that winning mentality, which is exactly what you want going into a tournament."
With James, Shane Long and David Meyler all accomplished GAA players, there must be county insults traded.
"With Derry being hammered 0-12 to 3-14 by Tyrone, there hasn't been much to brag about recently," he winces. Now that the games are being shown on Sky, I get some of the English lads saying to me, 'Did you play Gaelic? Great, explain the rules to me because there don't appear to be any!"
My favourite sporting tweet last year was the 'Why are Hull City armed with sticks?' one from a nonplussed Londoner who'd stumbled across a Kilkenny game. It went unnoticed, but James McClean accumulated some serious silverware this season.
"I took a few really bad FIFA '16 beatings so I switched to Football Manager and have won me share of trophies. If I had the same success in real life I'd be doing all right."
All eyes switch now to the Sweden game, which both Kevin Kilbane and Keith Andrews say in our Euro preview is a must-win.
For that to happen they're going to have to find a way of neutralising the self-deifying goalscoring machine that is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He's one of the best players in the world who not too long ago took England apart on his own," James notes. "But as a footballer that's where you want to be; on the biggest stage playing against the biggest players. We'll be wary of Ibrahimovic but not in awe because everybody has their weaknesses.
"We've got players that they'll be worrying about too. Robbie Keane's got 67 international goals. He's maybe not as quick as he once was, but he's got those few extra yards in his head. He has that knack of knowing where the ballÕs going to land and is one of the best finishers I've ever played with. Shane Long's quite quiet off the pitch - well, except when he gets his guitar out! - but on it knows how to put himself about and get into defenders' faces.
"Another guy who's chalk and cheese is James McCarthy. He doesn't say a lot sitting around the hotel, but on the pitch he likes to get involved and has a nasty streak - like we all do!"
Personally, I think it's a national outrage that Longy's searing fretwork wasn't deployed on the official Ireland Euro anthem.
"I was relieved that we didn't have to sing on it 'cause I don't have a note in my head," James smiles.
Having played at his 25th birthday, did The Coronas reprise their performance at his wedding? "They were supposed to play again but then they had their tour in Germany, which they couldn't pull out of. We still had a good old singsong though."
Now that the Aphex Twin-loving Sean St. Ledger has departed, who's in charge of the Ireland boombox?
"David Meyler's the music man in the dressing-room. I love me Wolfe Tones and traditional music whereas he's more into R&B and other dancier top 40 stuff."
Does James get to see the likes of Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba playing week-in/week-out for their clubs?
If weÕre not playing on the Sunday, my wife's ready to kill me because I'll have Belgian, Dutch, French, Scottish, Spanish, Italian American MLS and Non-League on the telly as well as the Premier League," he laughs. "It's not the same as playing against somebody, but you do notice how they cut in at certain angles, how they like to take the ball, what their strongest side is etc. etc."
Of course, James has played against Courtois, Mignolet, Alderweireld, De Bruyne, DembŽlŽ, Fellaini, Hazard, Benteke, Lukaku and Origi who make up Belgium's Premier League contingent. Who does he fear most out of that lot?
"Kevin De Bruyne came for a big fee, which he's justified with his goals and assists. The fact that Man City lost their way when he was out injured tells you just how a good player he is. They really struggled without him. Lukaku's a big strong boy with an eye for goal and a bit of pace, but weÕll have our homework done on both of them."
Who does he have as favourites to win the tournament?
"Present company excluded," he grins, "there are four or five teams you could see going all the way. France have a lot of great young players coming through and are on home soil, so they could be the ones to watch. We're confident that we can get out the group, and once you're at the knockout stages anything can happen."