Kerr glad to see McPhail emerge from shadows

IRELAND manager Brian Kerr last night welcomed the return of midfielder Stephen McPhail to regular first-team action with Nottingham Forest after three seasons in the background with Leeds United.

Kerr’s inclusion of McPhail in the squad of 24 players for upcoming matches against Russia in the European Championship and Turkey in a friendly perhaps gave a pointer to the future. McPhail was a regular midfield general for Kerr’s successful under-age teams and seemed set to enjoy a big career with Leeds until he fell out of favour.

It is scarcely three years since the then Leeds manager David O’Leary described McPhail as “the most exciting young midfielder in the English League” when he began to build his experience in the first team with Leeds at 20 years of age. But after contributing generously to Leeds’s successful season in 1999/2000, he found his career in free-fall after serious injury.

McPhail scored direct from a corner for Ireland in one of his first appearances with the senior team against South Africa in the Giants Stadium in 2000. His injury and subsequent struggles with Leeds cost him further involvement with Ireland until Kerr assumed control of the senior squad in February.

It was significant that McPhail was regularly involved as a back-up player in Kerr’s squads since then and he was watched by Kerr when he made his on-loan debut with Nottingham Forest when they beat Coventry City in a Division One game at Highfield Road on Wednesday. He is at Forest for three months.

Kerr said: “It’s good that Stephen is getting first team football at Forest and he impressed me with his overall performance over the 90 minutes against Coventry.” Kerr must also have been impressed with Ireland’s U21 star Andy Reid, who scored two of Forest’s goals in a 3-1 win.

While it is clear Kerr is a fan of McPhail it is not likely he will see action against Russia in a match Ireland must win if they are to hope to qualify for Euro 2004 in Portugal.

“This is not the time for blooding new potential talent. If necessary, we may call up other players for the friendly with Turkey four days after the Russian game.”

Kerr also included centre-forward Alan Lee in the squad in place of the injured Robbie Keane after he scored his first goal for Cardiff City this week. Lee was transferred for £850,000 from Rotherham United to Cardiff two weeks ago and has played twice for Cardiff. Recalled to the squad are two players who were kept out of the recent friendly match against Australia by injuries, Everton’s Lee Carsley and Blackburn’s recent signing Steven Reid.

The FAI yesterday announced that a limited number of tickets for the match against Russia at Lansdowne Road on Saturday, September 6 (4pm kick-off) will go on sale tomorrow.

Tickets will only be sold over the telephone from 10 am at 01 703 7590 and will be limited to two per caller. The friendly against Turkey will be played the following Tuesday, September 9 at 7.30 pm.

IRELAND squad: Given (Newcastle), Colgan (Stockport), Murphy (West Brom); Carr (Tottenham), Finnan (Liverpool), Breen (Sunderland), O’Brien (Newcastle), Cunningham (Birmingham), Doherty (Tottenham), Dunne (Manchester City), Harte (Leeds), O’Shea (Manchester United), Carsley (Everton), Healy (Sunderland), Holland (Charlton), Kilbane (Sunderland), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Reid (Blackburn), Quinn (Sheffield Wednesday), McPhail (Nottingham Forest), Duff (Chelsea), Lee (Cardiff City), Morrison (Birmingham), Connolly (West Ham).