Doyle eager to enhance growing reputation

FOR a man who took so long to find his way beyond base camp, Kevin Doyle will complete a meteoric rise to the summit when he makes his international football debut against Sweden tonight.

Doyle admitted he never envisaged this day arriving so soon after leaving Cork City for Reading last summer.

What he must have been thinking 24 months ago, languishing out of position on the right side of midfield, at Turner’s Cross, is anyone’s guess.

“I’ve barely had time to get used to living in England and playing in the Championship,” the Wexford man enthused.

“That’s still a jump for me now. It’s been a jump all along from when I was playing in Wexford as a young fella, on to Pat’s and Cork and then to Reading.

“My first Irish cap only came at U20, so it’s only been the last two or three years really when I’ve played international football at any level.

“You just have to try not let it phase you and play football like you have done all your life.”

Doyle’s prospects on the international stage, as well as the Premiership with runaway Championship leaders Reading, next year, are encouraging. So far, he has blended seamlessly into any new environment.

With Cork, he soon proved his worth when moved back to his preferred striking role. Goals against NEC Nijmegen and Nantes in City’s memorable Intertoto Cup run, two years ago, proved his credentials on a higher European stage.

His progress accelerated with Reading. With ten league games still to play, Doyle has already reached manager Steve Coppell’s pre-season target of 15 goals. The nature of international football means he will have less scope to impress Staunton.

Aside from tonight’s fixture, Ireland’s only other friendly before the European Championship qualifier against Germany, in September, is the August 16 date with the Dutch in Dublin. Does that add to the pressure on him tonight?

“I haven’t really thought about it actually. It’s how you’re playing for your club and I know that Stan has been to watch me with Reading once anyway, maybe twice. You can always have one bad game, whether it’s club or international level.

“It probably doesn’t help that there’s only two friendly games, but I don’t think that will be the deciding factor. If you think like that you’ll just go out and be a bag of nerves.”

Staunton’s deployment of both Doyle and Stephen Elliott alongside Robbie Keane tonight will be just one intriguing subplot. Both the Sunderland player and Clinton Morrison have impressed alongside the new captain, but the second striker’s jersey is still there to be claimed.

Doyle’s impressive goal scoring record at club level has been replicated for his country since those first days in green with the U20s. He scored in the World Youth Cup finals in the UAE in 2003 and finished top scorer in the 2004 Madeira Cup, but a goal tonight would be worth all of those put together.

“Everyone always wants strikers, don’t they?” he smirks. “Robbie has obviously made a name for himself; he’s the record scorer. Stephen Elliott is in the Premiership, and he was scoring goals before he was injured. Clinton Morrison is the same. After the three of them there is a place up for grabs as fourth striker.

“Trying to stay in the Reading team is just as hard because you have their record signing Leroy Lita and top goalscorer Dave Kitson, for the last couple of seasons, competing with me for a place.”