Old gold Irwin still has strong taste for silverware

DENIS IRWIN vowed to add a First Division Championship winner's medal to his bulging collection of silverware after completing his move to Wolves yesterday.

The 36-year-old defender is one of the most decorated players in the country but he is determined to prove he still has the winning habit following his release by Manchester United.

Irwin won seven Premiership titles, two FA Cups, one League Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup and Champions League in a glittering 12-year career at Old Trafford.

And he admitted he would only be content with another title after signing a one-year contract at Molineux.

He said: ''I wanted to join a club with ambition one that provided a challenge, and Wolves were the biggest and best that came in for me.

''I've had a great 12 years at United but I'm looking forward to working hard here and hopefully winning the First Division championship.

''I know just how big this club is and I know they should have gone up last season. This year is going to be a big challenge and I'm looking forward to it,'' he told the official club website.

Wolves were pipped to the second automatic promotion place in Division One by arch-rivals West Brom last season despite setting the pace for most of the campaign. They went on to lose to Norwich in the play-offs.

But manager Dave Jones believes Irwin's success will rub off on his squad this season, and was delighted to have fought off competition from a host of suitors for the fullback's signature.

He said: ''I'm pleased to have picked up such an accomplished player whose pedigree is second to none.

''The experience he will bring to the squad is unprecedented. It was a scoop to pick him up with so many other clubs chasing him."

Meanwhile, Leeds boss Terry Venables faces a fight to hang onto another of his star names after Tottenham confirmed they were considering an offer for Republic of Ireland international Robbie Keane.

Venables has had a whirlwind introduction to Elland Road, with the £30 million switch of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United finally going through as Venables learned Lee Bowyer's £9m on-off move to Liverpool was finally off.

And last night the manager discovered that Glenn Hoddle, his successor as England coach in 1996, is mulling over a reported £8m swoop for 22-year-old Keane.

White Hart Lane director of football David Pleat disclosed that Keane was on Spurs' transfer shortlist, which would cap the summer signings of Jamie Redknapp, Milenko Acimovic, Jonathan Blondel and Rohan Ricketts.

''We are keeping abreast of the Robbie Keane situation,'' Pleat said.

If Spurs move from assessing to actually bidding for Keane, they could become the Dublin-born player's fourth club in a frantic three years which has already seen him change hands for a remarkable total of £31m.