It's now or never, vows Gibson on his return to action

Darron Gibson, who has had more than a little time for reflection this past year, used to sense hostility whenever a phalanx of fluffy radio mics assailed his eyeline.

Now, instead of looking for things that are not there, Gibson just sees. And yet he can still carry an air of the mean and the moody type.

"Roy (Keane) told me today that I make him look happy," he quips.

Nonetheless, as he returns to the scene this evening of the stage when his career threatened to spectacularly hit the skids, all he sees is a brighter future. And he wants to embrace it; for now he knows the value of patience.

As we gather in Malahide, he has also had to wait his turn to speak as Martin O'Neill confirms his place in tonight's clash of the world-ranking also-rans, Ireland and Oman.

Signposted

"Darron…" someone begins but, instead, another voice re-routes the conversation towards O'Neill.

The Everton player smiles wryly. He's had ten months away from international duty; another few moments won't hurt.

"I've had a stop-start career until now," says the 26-year-old Derryman.

Until now, that career has been signposted by controversy; from the very fact that his status became a tug of war between the FAI and the IFA, his omission from the field in Euro 2012, contributing to his subsequent self-enforced exile from Giovanni Trapattoni's squads; needless to say, these moments have far outweighed his on-field contributions.

"Being out for 10 months last season gave me a lot of time to think about things," he muses.

"And I think this is now or never, really, to be honest with you, so I am looking forward to the task ahead.

"It just made me realise that I'm not getting any younger. I need to start playing games and I need to start doing well for myself.

"It's been quite tough for me. But my knee feels good and I feel fit again, so I am looking forward to the game now."

Ironically, the cruciate knee ligament injury occurred during his tentative return under interim boss Noel King against Kazakhstan last October, effectively ruling him out of all football for the rest of the season.

He pushed hard for a recall to the Everton side in late April, feeling he was prepared for combat but Roberto Martinez demurred strongly, arguing against a needless rush as the season entered trash time.

As he will do this evening, he has featured in all Everton's summer friendly fare; competitively, however, the conundrum presented by both club and country is similar in that he has yet to re-establish himself with either.

"This is a big opportunity because Martin hasn't seen me play in a while," he admits, before his fellow Derryman pipes in with the inimitable mischief that has been a hallmark of an interminable year of friendly fire.

"Nobody has!"

O'Neill does expand on one of the surfeit of midfield options seeking to do what few of them have actually done on the pitch for Ireland, namely assert themselves with a strident sense of purpose.

"He's obviously a decent footballer," says O'Neill. "He's a very, very talented player but he hasn't played much recently. But he looks comfortable now, he looks in really good shape and I'm actually looking forward to him playing."

Despite the inevitable perils of allowing costly assets to roam beyond their control, Everton and Martinez have been relatively relaxed about Gibson making his seasonal bow this evening, regardless of its length.

"We've talked about it before, whether he thinks half the game will be enough for him," offers O'Neill. "Players always feel they're properly fit and fine.

"We've to think about tonight and the whole tournament. But he's coming back from a long-term injury so it's a case of taking a little bit of time."

Patience, for someone whose childhood hero was the irrepressibly intolerant Roy Keane, has not always been a virtue for Gibson; after all, he almost had to be ushered from the Old Trafford premises before acknowledging that he would never make a significant breakthrough there.

O'Neill may not have seen much of Gibson as a driving midfield force but he has already become well-acquainted with the player's still-nascent burning ambition.

"I have known him for a few days and I can certainly vouch for that," chirps the 62-year-old.

Nonetheless, from the reluctant patient emerged an individual who managed to become, well, patient. Even if it railed against disposition.

"I'm not patient at all, no," says Gibson when asked to examine how he has changed in the past year.

"I struggled at the start mentally, but I just had to get used to the idea. Otherwise I would never have got better, to be honest with you. But I wouldn't say I'm the most patient player in the world, no.

"There have been a few low points. To be honest with you, being out for 10 months is tough.

"The hardest thing was going every week to Goodison and watching the lads, knowing I should have been playing, knowing there was not really much I could do about it.

Focused

"It is very hard. You want to be playing and training every day. It takes a bit of getting used to.

"But after a couple of months, I got round to the idea that it was a long-term injury.

"And I just got my head down and focused on getting through it. The staff and physios were great. Thankfully, I've come out the other end."

On his return to the Ireland fold, he never thought he'd be working with Keane. But then, life has taught him to expect anything.

"He was the midfielder I watched when I was growing up, my hero. He had a big influence on me. I supported Man United and always watched him specifically, so he was a big influence.

"I didn't imagine the prospect of him ever being here but I am looking forward to working under him. I've heard a few interesting stories from the lads over the years!

"I can learn a lot from him."

That Gibson has had to learn so much about himself offers him the necessary perspective, he hopes, to be even better than he has ever been before.