Stan sends for four Black Cats

IT’S the greening of Sunderland in reverse, with Steve Staunton naming four of the Championship-winners in his Irish squad for the friendly games in the USA later this month.

Daryl Murphy, Anthony Stokes, Liam Miller and Stephen Elliot are included in a 23-man squad which, with many senior players absent, features nine uncapped players.

There is still no place for in-form striker David Connolly but Liam Miller’s inclusion may go some way to softening Roy Keane’s recent criticism of Staunton’s selections. Yet, despite the club’s substantial representation in the new squad, contact between the two managers appears to be minimal.

“I’ve tried to ring him a few times, he’ll text back,” Staunton said yesterday. “I’ve spoken to other people that are connected to the club — we’ve got good information on all the players. I haven’t a problem with it. I try to get as much information as I can, and not just from the manager. Because if you’re a manager, you’re going to be very biased, aren’t you? I like asking opposition managers too because you get a more objective view.’’

Staunton added: But Anthony’s only started seven games, he hasn’t had an awful lot of football. For Daryl, it was only towards the end of the season that he’s come into his own. Liam Miller has been in and out but I do know that’s he’s been training really well and this has been probably the best four to six weeks he’s had. Now it’s up to him to prove he’s worthy of a place.”

Stokes could yet miss out on the American trip, since he has already been named in Sean McCaffrey’s squad for the U19 European Championship games against Hungary, Germany and Bulgaria. The final game of the elite phase is on Saturday May 19, the day after the senior squad fly to New York and, if Stokes is required for that match it could rule him out of the games against Ecuador in New York and Bolivia in Boston the following week.

“It’s something I will talk to Sean about and we’ll be flexible,” said Staunton.

Depending on which team emerges victorious in the Black Country derby which will decide one of the finalists in the Championship play-off, Staunton is also set to lose either Paul McShane (West Brom) or both Darren Potter and Andy Keogh (Wolves). Already definitely out are a host of big names including Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Shay Given, Stephen Carr, Lee Carsley, Steven Reid, Andy Reid, Graham Kavanagh and Jonathan Douglas. All of those are out either because of injury or in order to rest at the end of a long season, whereas Manchester City’s Richard Dunne will not be travelling on account of his impending nuptials.

The nine uncapped players included are Colin Doyle (Birmingham), Sean St Ledger (Preston), Alex Bruce (Ipswich), Derek Geary (Sheffield United), Joseph O’ Cearuill (Arsenal, on loan to Brighton), Darren Potter (Wolves), Caleb Folan (Wigan) Daryl Murphy (Sunderland) and Andy Keogh (Wolves).

Among the more established names who will travel are Wigan’s Kevin Kilbane, Manchester City’s Stephen Ireland and the Reading trio of Kevin Doyle, Stephen Hunt and Shane Long while, in the absence of captain Robbie Keane and vice captain Shay Given, the Irish will be skippered by Manchester United’s John O’ Shea, who will fly out to join the squad in their New Jersey base after the FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Said Staunton about his choice of captain: “I think John has finished the season very well. He’s reliable, he’s a model pro and he’s at a good age now. Kevin Kilbane could easily have been captain but I think John will thrive on the responsibility.”

Staunton said that he doesn’t expect end of season fatigue to be a factor in the two games.

“There’s a freshness and a hunger about the players, regardless of their age,” he said. “They’re all keen to impress. The reason we’re having these games so quickly after the season is to keep them focussed and not have too much time to let their minds wander. And they also know that they’ve got all of June and into July to recover.”

Staunton also denied that the omission of strikers like David Connolly, Clinton Morrison and Alan Lee signalled the end of the international road for those players.

He said: “I will never rule any one out but I’ve got several strikers in the squad and only two games, and I would like to have a proper look at each and every one of them. Even Kevin Doyle has only played a handful of games for us, so he needs the experience as much as any of the others. We want to have a good look at Caleb Folan, Shane Long, Anthony Stokes and Daryl Murphy, who has finished the season very, very well.”

The Republic of Ireland play Ecuador in Giants Stadium, New York on Wednesday May 23 (1am, Irish time) and Bolivia in the Gillette Stadium, Boston on Saturday, May 26 (9pm Irish time).