Robbie Keane yesterday denied any knowledge of reports linking him with a loan move from Inter Milan to Serie A strugglers Reggina in January when transfers are again allowed between the top Italian clubs.

The 20-year-old Dubliner admitted to having been disappointed with missing a couple of games recently but insisted that people have been far too quick to write off his chances of establishing himself as a regular first-team player at his new club.

"Before I went there nobody expected me to start a game," said the former Wolves and Coventry City striker yesterday, "but since I've actually arrived there I've only been left out of two. People forget that I've been involved in all of the other games there, though, and just remember the two that I was missing from."

The Irishman, who will be partnered by his former Molineux team-mate Dominic Foley this evening at Lansdowne Road, insists that there has not been any hint from recently-arrived manager Marco Tardelli that he is surplus to requirements. Having settled well in Milan, Keane is encouraged by the fact that he started against Lecce at the weekend even if Inter lost 1-0.

"We missed a few chances in the game and we should have won it but I thought I played well enough. I was playing on the left, slightly out of position, but it doesn't really matter as long as you're playing.

"Overall, though, there's a lot of squad rotation in Italy, not just at Inter, and so I'm determined to stick it out. Nobody has said anything to me that would leave me with the impression that I'm not in the manager's plans so, while the team need to work hard and get a few wins over the next few weeks, as far as I'm concerned I'm happy with the way things are going."