SOCCER/WORLD CUP QUALIFYING:RALLYING calls are not normally delivered in whispers, but there was no mistaking the urgency in Richard Dunne's soft tones as he assessed Ireland's potentially decisive tussle with Bulgaria on Saturday.
The Manchester City defender has underlined the significance of the trip to Sofia by reminding his fellow senior players in the national squad that this could be the last chance for them to prove their class on the grandest stage of all, a World Cup.
Dunne is one of five Ireland regulars, along with Shay Given, Damien Duff, Kevin Kilbane and Robbie Keane, who will be over or approaching 30 when next year’s tournament opens in Johannesburg’s Soccer City. Even the manager, for all his assertions that retirement is far from his thoughts, must privately question whether he will still be working by the time Brazil 2014 rolls around.
The suspicion that there will be no second chances, in World Cups at least, after South Africa 2010 provides pointed motivation for this weekend’s outing in eastern Europe, where victory will virtually guarantee a top-two finish in Group Eight.
“For guys like myself, it’s no use preparing for tournaments further down the line,” Dunne said. “It’s about the here and now and focusing on this World Cup. This is our chance and there is a hunger to go on and do it now.
“When the manager signed his two-year contract, he was focusing on this World Cup. His aim was to get to South Africa and he’s translated that belief and ambition onto the team.
“If you’re asked to help a set of younger lads qualify for another tournament in four years’ time, there’s no incentive for the older ones. The hope among us is that we will do it, and this is where we should be as a team.”
For Dunne, the exigency that surrounds the campaign is felt especially keenly. While his fellow veterans all tasted action in the 2002 World Cup, Dunne was left a frustrated spectator, watching all four games from the sanctuary of the substitutes’ bench.
The Dubliner has accumulated caps by the fistful ever since – Saturday will be his 52nd since he made his debut in 2000 – but while he insists failing to appear at a World Cup will not “define” his career, it remains a conspicuous gap on his CV.
Dunne must be at his sturdiest in Sofia, with Trapattoni almost certain to hand a competitive debut to Seán St Ledger, the Preston defender, after being impressed by his display against Nigeria at Fulham last Friday.
While breaking up the successful centre-back partnership between Dunne and John O’Shea represents a significant gamble, especially against an attack boasting the subtle but razor-sharp threats of Dimitar Berbatov, Martin Petrov and Valeri Bojinov, the Manchester City defender is sanguine at the prospect of guiding a rookie in the white heat of the Valeri Levski stadion.
“If you’re a young player coming into the side, it helps if you listen to the more senior members of the team and Seán was asking questions all the time – where should I go, what should I do, that kind of thing,” Dunne said.
“Bulgaria will be a completely different game but he has the belief now.
“Bulgaria are the favourites – it’s in their back yard and the pressure is on them to come at us and get the three points.
“We just need to do our jobs and still be in pole position afterwards.”
Dunne was one of four players to sit out yesterday’s training session at Arsenal’s London Colney base. The defender was nursing a slightly sore knee but the problem is not believed to be serious.
Robbie Keane (foot), Caleb Folan (knee) and Shay Given (hip) were also rested as a precaution, with all three expected to feature in this morning’s practice session before the lunchtime flight to Bulgaria from Luton.
There was further good news for Giovanni Trapattoni as Glenn Whelan declared himself fully fit after limping out of Tuesday’s session. The Stoke midfielder’s calf and ankle were still heavily bandaged yesterday but he described it as “just a little knock, nothing more than that”.
