Seven new faces for Irish qualifying series

THE change of season has coincided with a change of personnel in the Irish international squad.

There are no fewer than seven players who represented Ireland in the World Cup finals in Japan and Korea missing from the squad of 22 for next week’s opening tie in the qualifying series of the European Championship.

Ireland will play Russia in the Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow, on Saturday, September 7, in a match that will kick off at 7pm local time (4pm Irish time). It is the first in an eight match series for Ireland with other matches against Switzerland, Albania and Georgia to decide which of the five teams will qualify automatically for the finals in Portugal in 2004. The runners-up will go into a play-off.

It surely marks the beginning of a new era for Ireland for missing from the squad that was on duty at the World Cup are: Alan Kelly (Blackburn); Niall Quinn (Sunderland) and Steve Staunton (Aston Villa) who have retired from international football. Also missing are: Andy O’Brien (Newcastle United), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), David Connolly (Wolves) and Steven Reid (Millwall).

Manager Mick McCarthy yesterday explained Dunne and O’Brien were left out of the squad as they are not currently in the first team with their clubs. Connolly and Reid are still undergoing treatment for injuries that kept them out of last week’s friendly against Finland in Helsinki as is Stephen Carr (Spurs).

The replacements are goalkeeper Nick Colgan (Hibernian), John O’Shea (Manchester United), Phil Babb (Sunderland), making his first appearance in two years, Colin Healy (Celtic), Rory Delap (Southampton), Stephen McPhail (Leeds United) and Gary Doherty (Spurs).

It is still an experienced group of players as the promoted fringe players have all made several appearances. The least experienced of the group are goalkeeper Colgan - highly rated in Scotland with Hibernian - and Manchester United’s outstanding young defender, John O’Shea from Waterford.

O’Shea was in sparkling form for United when he deputised for the injured Rio Ferdinand in recent matches and his performance against Chelsea when he out-played Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink won particular praise. It must have been a huge disappointment to him to find himself immediately relegated to the subs bench when Ferdinand declared fit for the Champions’ League qualifier this week.

Several other Irish players have grown impatient with back-up roles at their clubs. Among them are Healy, Robbie Keane and McPhail.

Healy, who is just too old for U21 football, has been hugely impressive over the past eight months. He first played in central midfield and showed his versatility against Finland when he operated on the right of midfield and scored his first goal.

He said last night: “I have just grown tired of waiting for a break with Celtic. At my age you must be playing regular first-team football if you expect to play international football and I don’t want to sit in the stand any longer. I’ve been told too often next season I will be a regular.”

Healy turned down the offer of a three-year contract with Celtic and he confirmed his agent was in discussions with several clubs. “I don’t know what might be developing,” he said.

“And I cannot tell you what sort of a fee Celtic might demand. But I showed with Coventry last season I am good enough to be playing first-team football and that’s what I want.”

It is certain the decision of Celtic manager Martin O’Neill not to involve Healy in the two matches against Basle helped him decide on moving. Healy was in the party that travelled to Switzerland but he was not given a place on the substitutes’ bench for either match.

That seems extraordinary given that Healy has successfully played at right-back, centre-back as well as right and central midfield for Celtic.

The squad is: Given (Newcastle), Kiely (Charlton), Colgan (Hibernian); Kelly, Harte, Robbie Keane, McPhail (Leeds Utd), Breen (West Ham), Cunningham, Morrison (Birmingham), Finnan (Fulham), O’Shea (Manchester Utd), Babb, McAteer, Kilbane (Sunderland), Holland (Ipswich Town), Healy (Celtic), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Carsley (Everton), Delap (Southampton), Duff (Blackburn Rovers), Doherty (’Spurs).