Tom Humphries finds Kenny Cunningham's measured and humorous contribution to the long-running debate on l'affaire Keano, and where it has left the international team, refreshing and hopeful.

It's good to be back, says Kenny Cunningham. He's talking about his return to the Premiership in the blue of Birmingham City, but there is a sense too that he is emerging again from the shadows he found himself in during the World Cup. Having travelled as one of the favourites to start, he was among the wounded of Saipan, in a literal sense, and the injury he picked up there knocked him down the pecking order.

Now he is back in the top drawer of the football world, a relocation which can only benefit him after his years of sometimes surprising loyalty to Wimbledon, who were going nowhere in the figurative sense and everywhere and anywhere in the literal sense.

On Sunday he played his first Premiership game, as Birmingham were treated to a gentle roasting at the brazier that is Highbury. Cunningham looked on it as an orientation seminar on his return to higher education.

"On Sunday we didn't feel we gave it our best shot, we were a little bit in awe of their players. There is a marked difference to the level I've been playing against. I did notice the difference in say the pace of the game. If you lose possession they make you run and gradually they wear you out.

"The retention of the football is so much better. You spend so much energy retrieving the ball. The way they set up, their movement, the interchange of positions, they ask you a lot of questions tactically."

At international level he finds the scene unchanged, of course. One topic of conversation engages everyone, except Mick McCarthy, who has an allergy. When Roy Keane's publishers come to issue the paperback they will not want for interesting quotes to stick on the front cover.

"I'd prefer to buy a Bob the Builder Book" - Jason McAteer.

"I won't be pitching a tent outside WH Smith's, roasting me marshmallows" - Kenny Cunningham.

In these intemperate times though it behoves us all not to quote people out of context and in fact Cunningham gave us all a text-book lesson of reasoned comment on L'affaire Keano.

Was he surprised that it was still rumbling on? "I'm not surprised by it, absolutely not. Roy is such a high-profile individual and he has been such a key component for the Irish side over the past number of years, it is no surprise that the story has run over the summer and until now. It's an obvious footballing story. I'm sure it will run and run over the next couple of months. We have some important games coming up and it's a situation we can't really affect. We have to remain focused."

Interested in the book? "I'm not one for picking up football biographies, but I wouldn't like to dismiss it and say I'm not interested in what Roy has got to say. You have to pay him a certain amount of respect because of his stature in the game not only at club level but also at international level to this point.

"I think it shows a lack of respect to say I'm not interested. By virtue of the fact he has led Manchester United, the most successful club side of the last couple of years, and he has led his country in the manner that he has, I wouldn't say I have no interest."

Oh. "He has his own reasons for writing the book. In some respects I find him a fascinating character. We've all spent time with him in the last couple of years, he's an intelligent young man to be honest with you. It's always interesting to spend time around those people, especially with the amount of success he's had on the football pitch. I spent some times with him, lunches, dinners, times around the hotel. It's always interesting to hear what people like that have to say.

"I won't be queuing down O'Connell Street or pitching a tent outside WH Smith, roasting me marshmallows. Roy might decide to send a few free copies to the lads."

Sum Roy up.

"I couldn't consider myself a close confidant. I wouldn't sit here and tell you what kind of an individual he is. That's down to the people who know him best, his family and his close friends. They'd tell you. It's obvious the attributes he has.

"Ball winner, demands high standards, demands them of those around him and of himself. He's intelligent, private, good sense of humour, good wit, he can be interesting company but he has a private side and he doesn't open himself up. It's probably better to comment when we've all read the book."

Has he got cloven feet? A little tail? Do you miss having him around? "Certainly as a footballer he was world class. I couldn't make an argument that we are stronger without him. As a team we would be stronger, but it's not football reasons why Roy is not in the squad. It's more complex."

Is the team spirit stronger? "That's a very difficult question. It's not an area where players should get involved. We can talk about it but we can't affect it. It has to be resolved between Roy, the manager and possibly the FAI. Those are the channels."

If we would all get that much balance into our coverage. Cunningham experienced other aspects of the World Cup, of course. At the time it was said quietly that he was desperately disappointed to be in the subs but he has regained his perspective quickly.

"There's a bigger picture. It was what we achieved as a squad over there. I played one or two games before the opening game of the World Cup, but I thought it would be a close call. For myself and the other subs who didn't play a huge part, it was a difficult position. In quieter moments in the hotel I think we had our tougher moments."

The longest patch of play he enjoyed was at the end when he replaced Steve Staunton against Spain. The game was two months ago, but the inquest isn't complete. Did you know that Spain had only 10 men in extra-time?

"I didn't know, in all honesty. I thought I was the greatest player in the world, creating all that space for myself at the back. I thought they were frightened of me they were backing off to the halfway line!"

Some good humour at an Irish team press conference. Maybe everyone is moving on after all.