Gamble gets the callRepublic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton yesterday suffered five withdrawals from his squad for next week's senior international games in the United States. Stephen Elliot and Liam Miller (both Sunderland) and Manchester City's Stephen Ireland pulled out of the panel citing family reasons, while Sheffield United's Derek Geary (hip and ankle) and Wigan Athletic's Caleb Folan (knee) will miss the trip due to injury.
Staunton yesterday called Cork City midfielder Joe Gamble and Stephen O'Halloran of Aston Villa into the squad. Gamble was previously in the panel for last year's friendly game against Chile and subsequently performed strongly when winning a B international cap against Scotland.
O'Halloran (19), who can play in the centre or the left side of defence, had a highly productive loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers this season, making 13 appearances and looking particularly impressive in the club's League Cup semi-final against Chelsea. He is said to be highly rated by Villa boss Martin O'Neill and was recently allocated a first-team squad number.
The Ireland squad is due to gather in Dublin tomorrow before departing the following afternoon. Gamble will not travel until Saturday, meaning he will feature for Cork against Bohemians on Friday night.
Ireland will play Ecuador at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey next Wednesday before travelling on to Boston for a meeting with Bolivia on Saturday week.
Celtic land Brown
Scott Brown has agreed a move to Celtic, according to his agent Willie McKay. The Hibernian midfielder had been linked with a host of clubs, but the champions appear to have won the race for his £4.4 million signature.
Irish to be unseeded
St Patrick's Athletic and Drogheda United are set to be unseeded in next month's draw for the first round of the Uefa Cup after clubs from Norway and Finland won admission to the competition via the "fair play" lottery, writes Emmet Malone.
Both countries are more highly ranked than Ireland in Europe and so the clubs selected will push the Irish entrants, who had been in contention to be seeded, down the list.
Warnock uncertain
Neil Warnock's future at Sheffield United is increasingly uncertain, with many in the game expecting him to part company with the relegated club today. Warnock was not taking phone calls last night but it was eventually confirmed that a press conference will be held at Bramall Lane this morning.
"As far as I know, Neil is still in charge," said Stuart McCall, Warnock's number two, last night. Asked about rumours that he was set to be named manager, with Warnock being shunted into a director of football role, McCall said: "Someone's been winding you up."
Warnock, who earned £400,000 last season and was almost certainly the Premiership's lowest-paid manager, was offered a two-year deal last week that would have paid him £750,000 a year had United stayed up and £450,000 on relegation.
Rejecting this, Warnock asked to re-open negotiations. As United failed to stay up, his position is now weakened and it appears he feels it is time to move on.
