SOCCER: Steve Staunton yesterday took the first tentative steps on the road to his renewal of Ireland's senior international squad when he included in his panel for the Sweden game next month a handful of new faces and a couple who had seemed to lose their way of late.
Stephen Ireland and Joey O'Brien have been rewarded for their efforts during breakthrough seasons at Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers.
Wayne Henderson and Liam Lawrence are also called up for the first time at this level. Stephen Kelly of Spurs and Kevin Doyle of Reading are included after having made fleeting appearances in the squad, though not the team, under Brian Kerr.
Jonathan Douglas and Liam Miller return after forging a partnership in central midfield at Leeds United that has revived their prospects of playing for the Republic. With Andy Reid, Alan Lee and Aiden McGeady ruled out by injury there are few absentees of note from the 23-man panel, but Gary Doherty and Nicky Colgan will be disappointed to have been omitted.
Mark Kennedy, who did not play under Kerr, has also been overlooked in favour of the younger players.
Staunton was at pains to stress, though, he continues to view his task in terms of a four-year plan and there will be plenty of opportunities for those disappointed yesterday to make their marks.
"I've named 23 because there's only so many you can work with at a time and when you're a player who is called in but then you're not involved in the 18 (the team and substitutes) it's difficult.
"Over the course of the campaigns," he continued, "I have no doubt that we'll end up using 30 to 40 players but there's no point in calling up 30 or so now and then having 10 or more standing around on the sidelines."
Among those who didn't quite make the cut this time, Staunton said he would continue to keep an eye on Lee Trundle, though he made it clear a transfer from Swansea would strengthen the striker's case that he is good enough to make an impact for Ireland.
He had, he said, consulted Mick McCarthy regarding the former Waterford United striker Daryl Murphy and accepted McCarthy's view that despite his goal for Sunderland at the weekend the former under-21 international wasn't ready for the step-up. Others, he observed, would simply get their chance with the passing of time.
There may yet, however, be a couple of late call-ups for this game, as John O'Shea has been included despite having only resumed training after suffering a hip injury and Stephen Elliott is named having resumed light running following a spell on the sidelines with a back problem.
"Mick (McCarthy) said he had no concerns over Stephen's fitness so he should be fine," said Staunton.
"As for John, if Manchester United think it's better for him to get fit at their training ground then that's fine - but if Alex thinks he might benefit from being involved with us and our game then so much the better."
Quite how many of the newer faces get to play against the Swedes on March 1st remains to be seen but Staunton was yesterday talking up the prospect of blending youth with experience, which should give hope to at least a couple of the more prominent newcomers.
"This (the promotion of young talent) is what we have to look to and as we only have two games lined up before the start of the championship qualifiers it has to be done sooner rather than later," he said.
The Louthman added possible opponents were being weighed up with regard to a third game and he does expect a further match to be added to Ireland's schedule in May.
Another chance to weigh up his various options would certainly be welcome.
The new manager is hoping to add to the competition in every department but central midfield and the right-back berth look to be particular areas of opportunity for those aiming to stake a claim for a place in his first competitive side come September.
Since the last World Cup Ireland's three established central midfielders have departed, leaving the converted outside left Kevin Kilbane as the leading candidate for one of the two positions in the autumn.
Miller, Douglas, Ireland and O'Brien will all hope to persuade Staunton they are options too, and Graham Kavanagh will be aiming to withstand the challenge and nail down a regular spot in the team.
At right back, meanwhile, Steve Finnan is the leading candidate by quite some distance - though Staunton suggested yesterday Stephen Carr might return, describing his talks with the Newcastle United defender as "positive", and accepting the position apparently adopted by the player that he needed to recover from injury and resume regular first-team action before reconsidering his international future.
On the identity of the captain there was no news, Staunton insisting he has not talked to the player in question. Shay Given is widely expected to be named as Kenny Cunningham's successor.
GOALKEEPERS: Shay Given (Newcastle Utd), Paddy Kenny (Sheffield Utd), Wayne Henderson (Brighton).
DEFENDERS: Gary Breen (Sunderland), Ian Harte (Levante), Steve Finnan (Liverpool), Andy O'Brien (Portsmouth), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), John O'Shea (Manchester Utd), Stephen Kelly (Tottenham Hotspur).
MIDFIELDERS: Liam Miller (Leeds United), Kevin Kilbane (Everton), Steven Reid (Blackburn Rovers), Damien Duff (Chelsea), Graham Kavanagh (Wigan Athletic), Joey O'Brien (Bolton Wanderers), Stephen Ireland (Manchester City), Jonathan Douglas (Leeds United).
FORWARDS: Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur), Clinton Morrison (Crystal Palace), Kevin Doyle (Reading), Stephen Elliott (Sunderland), Liam Lawrence (Sunderland).
Wayne Henderson
(Brighton and Hove Albion)
Until recently a regular for the Irish under-21 team, Henderson appears to have skipped a couple of place in the pecking order after securing first-team football in recent months at Brighton.
"He reminds me a lot of Shay Given," says Steve Staunton, who is familiar with the young goalkeeper from the time when both were at Aston Villa. "He's quick, agile and good when coming off his line. I've gone with what I know on this occasion," the manager confirms. "It will be good to see how he copes."
Joey O'Brien
(Bolton Wanderers)
The young Dubliner has made dramatic progress over the past year or so and reacting to the news that he had received a first senior international call-up yesterday, Sam Allardyce described the player whose 20th birthday it is today as an "integral" part of his team.
"Sam thinks he's ready for it and from what I've seen I'd agree," says Staunton. "He is in the first team now and learning the game but he can play at right back or in midfield which is the sort of versatility that you want."
Liam Lawrence
(Sunderland)
Having made his name at Mansfield Town where he scored 22 goals during the 2003/'04 season, the midfielder has overcome injury to firmly establish himself in the Sunderland team, scoring three times in 20 games this year from midfield. Where he can play wide on either flank (he is most commonly found on the right) or in the centre.
"He's improved no end after coming from second division football to hold his place in the Premiership," says Staunton. "He's neat and tidy, a very strong runner. We like what we see so far."
Lawrence qualified to play for the Republic by virtue of his grandfather and he is currently in the process of securing his passport.
Stephen Kelly
(Tottenham Hotspur)
Another former regular in the under-21s, Kelly looked to have cracked it at Spurs before slipping down the pecking order at the start of this season as Martin Jol strengthened his squad. Has made just six appearances during this campaign although four of those have been in recent weeks so things do appear to be improving somewhat.
Good going forward and an occasional goal scorer, he made his first-team debut for the White Hart Lane club in December 2003 and when he played in the Premiership against Everton that season he meant that, having had spells on loan at Southend, QPR and Watford, he had played in all four divisions during one campaign.
"He was looking for a move away because he was frustrated," says Staunton, "and he didn't get it but in the games I've seen him in he's been impressive."
Jonathan Douglas
(Blackburn Rovers/Leeds Utd)
Like Kelly, Douglas has found an early breakthrough a little harder to build on than might have been expected. The Monaghan-born midfielder had made such progress at Blackburn a couple of season back that he was actually capped twice by Brian Kerr, coming on in the friendlies against Poland and Nigeria.
His first-team opportunities dried up at Ewood Park, however, and so he grabbed the opportunity of a season-long loan move to Leeds where he has thrived, making more than 30 appearances to date. A box-to-box midfielder with fierce determination and a good eye for a pass.
Stephen Ireland
(Manchester City)
A tremendous start to the season in the reserves at Manchester City, earned the young attacking midfielder from Cork his shot at first-team football and so far Ireland has risen to the challenge, turning in a series of remarkably mature performances and shining in a couple of particularly big games.
"It's great that he's getting the opportunity that he is at City," says Staunton. "He wants to play and in the games he has played he's more than held his own. He's a very bright prospect."
Liam Miller
(Manchester Utd/Leeds Utd)
A much more familiar name than some of the others in this squad but Miller's inclusion still marks another step back from the misery he had to endure while consigned to the reserves at Manchester United for the bulk of the last couple of years.
Now back to something approaching his best at Leeds, the Corkman will be looking to add to his 10 caps before deciding his longer-term club future over the summer.
"Jonathan (Douglas) and Liam have both been doing brilliantly at Leeds," says Staunton.
"Their performances in the middle of the park are one of the major reasons that the club is up where it is now. We've watched them numerous time together and I'm delighted with the form they've shown."
Kevin Doyle
(Reading)
The 22-year-old striker remains on course to pick up a championship winner's medal at Reading after his goals at Cork City during the early part of last season here set his former club well on the way to a league title.
Has adapted swiftly to life at Reading, scoring 12 goals in 33 league appearances to emerge as one of the team's rising stars.
"He's taken the Championship by storm," says Staunton, "and from talking to Steve Coppell it's clear that without him they wouldn't be where they are at the moment."
- Emmet Malone
