Carr gears up for return to action

STEPHEN CARR pragmatically reviewed 18 months of surgery, medical attention and rehabilitation yesterday and licked his lips at the prospect of pulling on Ireland’s green international shirt once again.

Carr, 26-years-old but wiser because of his extended battle to recover fitness, admitted he found it hard to subdue his natural urge to play again at the top level and had feared his football career was prematurely ended by his cruciate ligament injury.

He last played for Ireland against Estonia on June 6, 2001, and the injury cost him his involvement in the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea. But his spirits were sustained by the support of good friends and the joy he and his wife had of welcoming a new baby into the world.