SOCCER:SHAY GIVEN has insisted the FAI and Giovanni Trapattoni are right to recruit players to play for the Republic from wherever they can despite renewed complaints and an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland by the IFA in the wake of Everton defender Shane Duffy switching his allegiance from Northern Ireland last week.

Duffy was at the Emirates as a guest of the association on Tuesday night and could be in the senior squad that embarks on an end-of-season training camp prior to the friendly games against Paraguay and Algeria.

If so, he will join Darron Gibson, James McCarthy and Aiden McGeady, squad members who declared for the Republic amid controversy having been born outside of the 26 counties.

But Given, who took time to get established as an international at underage levels, backed the Trapattoni line yesterday that any player who qualifies under the Fifa rules is effectively fair game.

“I could have played for Northern Ireland,” said the Manchester City goalkeeper. “My mother was from Castlederg in Co Tyrone. But it’s up to the players to choose who they want to play for. And we need to strengthen the squad.

“If the other players come from the moon with an Irish grandparent and want to play for us that’s fine. Go back to the Jack Charlton era, there were a lot of players English-based with Irish grandparents and that was the most successful time for Ireland. We’ve got to look at all avenues to try and get as many players as we can.”

Trapattoni made it clear he views the system as an extension of the “free market” and said we must simply abide by the rules. The Italian said Ireland had also missed out on many players and it was a matter for individuals to decide where their future lies.

“There is a procedure and they need clearance to play for another country,” he said. “It’s also a situation for us. (Wayne) Rooney could have played for us, he said. “And many others who were born in England but whose father or grandfather came from Ireland.”

Rooney’s brother John, who plays at Macclesfield, continues to be linked from time to time with an underage cap for the Republic.

“These young players have doubts about where it is better that they go,” said Trapattoni. “What happens to the countries? That is for Platini to address. It is like the question of player quotas. If there is this open market situation you can not pick and choose and close this or that.”

The Italian showed little sympathy, meanwhile, for Leon Best, the Newcastle striker who was provisionally named in the team for Tuesday’s game only to find himself back on the bench due to Robbie Keane’s late availability.

“Keane, after the Sunday game had a problem in the knee,” said the 70-year-old. “Then he called me on Monday, said his knee was better and asked what should he do? I said come straight away. As for Best, he was disappointed but you must overcome this if you are going to achieve anything in life. There are disappointments in life and football. He must cope with them.”

Keane was similarly dismissive: “It wasn’t up to me,” he said. “It was up to the manager. I declared myself fit. He picked me.”

The Republic of Ireland captain, who says he expects to be back at Spurs next season (“I’ve a three-year contract there”) is on course to make his 100th appearance for Ireland against Argentina as long as he plays in the friendlies against Paraguay and Algeria in May and the striker indicated that would be his intention.

“I want to play every game for my country. If that’s the case, it would be fantastic. I love playing for my country but at the end of the day you want to win games.”

John O’Shea looks set to miss out on those games due to his long-term injury but Trapattoni will be relieved he can expect to have Richard Dunne available again.

Perhaps conscious he might have to rely on others in the ongoing absence of the Manchester United player, the manager went out of his way yesterday to talk up Paul McShane’s recent progress, insisting he had been pleased with the way the Hull City player had performed at the Emirates, despite the difficulties he encountered during the second half as he tired, and looking to exonerate him from blame for the goals conceded in Bari and Paris.

“Part of the problem here is about interpretation and different schools of football. At the clubs they are told to do one thing and then they come to us and we ask them to do something different.

“That takes time, but I am pleased with the way Paul McShane has developed. He has done well for us.”

McShane’s physical presence is clearly an important factor for the manager and he said he was pleased with the way others had made their presence felt against the Brazilians during the first half too. Keith Andrews, in particular, had made life difficult for real Madrid star Kaka at times and their clashes threatened to develop into a spat on a couple of occasions.

The Dubliner, who acknowledged his own performance, like the team’s, had been sloppy at times and bemoaned the lack of an offside flag against Robinho during the Brazilian move that led to his own goal, subsequently admitted the former World Player of the Year had been a little put out by one or two of his challenges but insisted it had never been anything serious. “Nah,” he said, “he was just telling me about his good mate, Jesus.”