Soccer International news: Safe to say there's a touch more enthusiasm in the Irish camp for tomorrow's friendly against Holland at the Amsterdam Arena than there was for their Unity Cup games against Nigeria and Jamaica.  Mary Hannigan reports from Amsterdam.

Not even a brush with Britain's air traffic control mayhem yesterday - the Irish party missed the worst of the delays, and arrived in Amsterdam only 40 minutes behind schedule - could dilute their anticipation for the game against the Euro 2004 finalists.

"It's brilliant," said Andy Reid, "a great game to look forward to. We know their team for the finals hasn't been picked yet so there'll be people trying to impress to get into the starting line-up, so we're not expecting any of them to have their foot off the pedal at all.

"We're expecting a very hard game, Holland have a hell of a lot of quality. But we've got quality too and we're looking forward to going there and testing ourselves against top-class players.

"I started the game against Brazil, so I don't think you can get much bigger than that, but Holland will be tough. Personally, I'm hoping I'll get a chance to pit myself against some of the best players in the world."

Fresh from lining out in an "all-Dub" midfield against Jamaica (completed by Mark Kinsella, Graham Barrett and Alan Quinn), as Reid revealed Kerr had observed with a wink when he named his team, the Nottingham Forest winger was eager to heap praise on Wednesday's goalscorer, Barrett, who was also the subject of a hearty commendation from his manager.

"That's two goals in four games he's got at senior level now, so he's almost prolific," said Kerr.

"His whole game was excellent, he played wide right but managed to get inside for the goal and his general play was very good."

The manager added that the Coventry City forward had played himself in to contention for involvement in the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Gary Doherty, too, could be pleased with his night's work against Jamaica, when he partnered Andy O'Brien in the centre of defence. "Myself and OB hadn't really played together before, so it was a good experience. I enjoyed playing with him, his reading of the game is excellent, and I think everyone can see how much he has improved with Newcastle.

"I want to put the striker thing to bed now," he said, "I could feel, when I was playing centre-half that I wasn't as sharp as I should be because sometimes I was used as a striker. Obviously, I will play as a striker if a manager wants me there, but it has affected my game. I want to concentrate as much as I can on being a centre-half now."

The withdrawal of John O'Shea, who aggravated an ankle injury in the first half against Jamaica, Kinsella, Paddy Kenny and Jonathan Douglas has reduced Kerr's squad to 20, but he's content enough to go in to the Dutch game with the remaining group, resisting any late call-ups.

"We'll manage with 20," he said. "Unfortunately we're not going with the squad I would have liked, but it will be a massive experience for the players who are left. There are more experienced players that we would have wanted to put out in this type of atmosphere, but they're not here.

"The fact that it's the last match and we don't have to worry about any more games means that we don't have to think about resting people. In each of the last few games, we've had to think about the next match and the next match. It will be nice to pick a team in isolation rather than worrying about what's coming next."

Kerr also expressed satisfaction with the efforts of the younger players in the squad during the past week.

"I thought (against Jamaica) they did well and took their chance nicely," he said, in particular reference to Barrett and Alan Quinn.

"I'm sure some of the players who are not here are concerned with how these lads did.

"Saturday will be a bigger test again, and there would have been a lot of players in there ahead of them, but that is what football does. Sometimes the opportunity comes and you take it. I was happy with how the young lads did."

Well and all as the "young lads" did, it's still likely that some of the more experienced crew, including Kenny Cunningham, Steve Finnan, Robbie Keane and Matt Holland, will return to the starting line-up for tomorrow night's game.