This has been a season to forget for Kevin Doyle but Stephen Ward has dismissed concerns over his club-mate’s form ahead of next month’s European Championships.

John O’Shea believes Sunderland team-mate James McClean is more than capable of replicating his stunning breakthrough at club level with Ireland this summer — if he’s selected for the European Championships.

Wolves key midfielder Karl Henry has lost his battle to be fit for the weekend Barclays Premier League clash with leaders Manchester United at Molineux.

RISING Manchester United star Michael Keane last night confirmed his intention to turn his back on Ireland for a switch to his homeland of England.

HOW odd that, despite all those times it has been in close proximity to the bacon-slicer, Mick McCarthy’s posterior appears not to have an aperture in it.

WOLVES manager Mick McCarthy hopes his team will benefit from the feelgood factor generated by his trio of Republic of Ireland players having qualified for Euro 2012 – starting with today’s clash at Everton.

West Brom striker Simon Cox has vowed to make a major impact at both club and international level next season after a thrilling end to the current campaign.

RECORD-BREAKING Robbie Keane was the toast of his team-mates and the Irish supporters in Skopje on Saturday.

ON a night when Ireland won the Carling Nations Cup, Robbie Keane matched Bobby Charlton’s British and Ireland record of 49 international goals and Paul McShane seemed briefly possessed by the spirit of Lionel Messi, perhaps the best news out of this game for Giovanni Trapattoni is that Shay Given is fit and ready for Skopje.

Wolves midfielder Stephen Hunt has returned to full training – less than a fortnight after undergoing a hernia operation.

Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt will finally make his first appearance for Wolves in tonight’s reserve-team clash with Wigan at Molineux.

Jimmy Bullard has applauded Hull’s decision to reject a £5m deadline day bid for Stephen Hunt and believes it will help galvanise the squad.

OWNER David Whelan has insisted Wigan will sell none of their major players during the January transfer window.

David Whelan has insisted Wigan will sell none of their major players during the January transfer window.

Paul McShane admits he is still “sick” over the shattering end to his World Cup dream.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI called back his wide men for some extra tuition at the end of training in Malahide yesterday, Damien Duff, Aiden McGeady, Stephen Hunt and Liam Lawrence gathering around their manager in the centre circle while the rest of the squad made their way to the bus.

READING have warned Sunderland that they have no intention of budging from their £5m (€5.8m) asking price for their in-demand winger Stephen Hunt.

FOR most of the summer, the expectation was that he would be back in the Premier League by now, leading the line at Villa Park maybe, or playing a role in the Roy Keane revolution on Wearside.

IRELAND’S new management team have only just got their feet under the desk in Abbotstown, but already they must be wondering why their presence was demanded in the first place.

Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt has signed a new three-and-a-half year contract.

Reading manager Steve Coppell insists Sunderland still have no chance of signing Stephen Hunt.

Reading’s director of football Nick Hammond is confident they can hold on to winger Stephen Hunt despite reported interested from Sunderland.

DON GIVENS might only have been in the hot seat for 90 minutes on Saturday but, like Mick McCarthy, Brian Kerr and Steve Staunton before him, Ireland’s caretaker manager got to experience that sinking feeling just as his team were in sight of dry land.

THE essential difference between a cup final and a cup semi-final is that, assuming their team has at least given a good account of itself, fans will respond to defeat in the final with disappointment but to defeat in a semi with dismay.

Republic of Ireland boss Steve Staunton admitted Ireland's European Championship qualifying hopes were effectively over after his side suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Czech Republic in Prague.

ALAN BENNETT is being worked hard at Reading in a series of gruelling training sessions.

READING manager Steve Coppell is convinced Stephen Hunt and Ibrahima Sonko have already shrugged off the death threats the pair received through the post.

STEPHEN HUNT had waited 26 years to realise his dream of starting a Premiership game; within as many seconds of its kick-off he had also achieved notoriety.