Keane welcomes pressure

THE man in whom a nation's hopes of a European Championship match-winning goal are invested, yesterday cheerfully accepted his responsibility. More than that, welcomed it.

Robbie Keane spoke of his sense of anticipation ahead of tomorrow's match against Switzerland in Basle and made it clear he was impatient to get on to the pitch. Ireland, he emphasised, are on a mission.

With 16 goals in 45 internationals, people tend to forget that the Spurs striker is still only 23.

"People tend to forget that. Damien Duff is only 24 and people seem to think we are 28 or thereabouts, but the pressure doesn't really bother me. When people put so much pressure on you that it makes you play better."

Pressure is something Ireland will definitely experience in Basle. Nothing short of a win will benefit them for Switzerland are a point ahead going into the last series. And with Russia favourites to beat Georgia in Moscow, Ireland must get three points to stay alive. Keane's recent injury came at a bad time, not just for Ireland, but also for Spurs, who lost Premiership points in his absence. Worse than that, perhaps Glenn Hoddle lost his job because the Irishman was not there to score goals.

"It is never nice when someone gets the sack," said Keane. "For me personally Glenn is someone I respect. He brought me to the club and he showed a lot of faith in me so it is a shame, but it is something that happens in football and as professionals we have just got to move on and get on with our own careers.

"It was only a matter of time when we were going to turn it around. They gave him money to spend in the Summer and then after five or six games he got the sack and I think he should have had a bit more time."

Keane hurt also when he was kept out of the game for his enthusiasm for playing is well recognised. "You soon lose your fitness and I was out for five weeks and you lose it. You just need to get matches in after that because match fitness is most important."

He suggested the spirit within the Irish camp was such that he felt obliged to be with the group against Russia, much like captain, Kenny Cunningham was determined to travel to Switzerland even though he could not play because of suspension: "It was important for me to come over and be amongst the lads and get involved around the dressing-room. Even though I didn't play I felt a little part of it and I'm sure Kenny feels the same."

He is confident Ireland had the ability and the resources to complete their comeback in this championship by beating Switzerland. "We are capable of beating anyone on the day. We always talk about team spirit, but we have got a good squad and it always helps when you've got the two ingredients, and we certainly have them.

"It is important that we don't try and win the game in the first 45 minutes. It is going to be a long 90 minutes and we need to play and concentrate for the entire time."

Keane looks set to go on and re-write Ireland's goal-scoring record books, but he will employ several different attacking approaches to do so. At the moment, he is enjoying his Spurs partnership with Freddie Kanoute because the French man likes to play alongside the last defender, giving Keane the freedom to drop deep in search of the ball. "The way I play I like to come off the defenders and get the ball and play in that hole, but I have played up front as well for Ireland. Whatever role I'm given on Saturday I'll be happy to take it.

"When I play with Damien, we just inter-change as the situations arise. There's not much point in thinking too much about how you are going to play because things never happen as you expect. We are very similar in ways because Damien likes to come off and get the ball as I do, so it all depends on how it works out at the time. David Connolly is quite similar."

The success of lifelong friend, Duff, with Chelsea comes as no surprise to Keane, who rubbished any suggestion that Duff might be distracted by the glamour side of football in London.

"Damien is a strong character and the bright lights won't affect him," he said. "It all depends on how you treat yourself and how you deal with things down there and to suggest he won't handle that is a load of rubbish.

"Damien has been magnificent in the games I've seen him play for Chelsea and when people ask me about him I say there is no worry, he is as big as any star there because he is a world-class player. And we are lucky to have a player like him playing for Ireland."