Boost for Ireland as Dunne and Hunt passed fit
In the manager’s understandable absence at yesterday morning’s press conference — his father Tom’s funeral took place on Monday — Staunton’s assistant Kevin MacDonald was not in a position to name tonight’s starting 11 before the squad flew out of Dublin, instead confirming that Staunton, who has travelled to Denmark, will inform the players of his selection today.
But MacDonald was able to clarify that Richard Dunne, despite receiving stitches in a head wound in the Manchester derby, has been cleared to play for his country.
Reading’s Stephen Hunt, another injury worry following the weekend, was also able to take a full part in the training session at Malahide.
While the main point of tonight’s exercise is to warm up for the critical qualifiers in Bratislava and Prague next month, Robbie Keane sounded a note of determination to extend Ireland’s unbeaten seven-game record in Denmark. “There’s no such thing as a friendly when you’re playing for your country,” said the Irish captain. “Every international is very important for the players and for the country itself. You need to have these games before a big qualifier, to work on your team shape or whatever the manager wants to do. It’s going to be a tough game in Denmark but it will be a good test for us before the two against Slovakia and the Czech Republic.”
Kevin MacDonald might have been at pains to point out that the Spurs man is “in the prime of his life” as a footballer but Keane only has to look around the training ground to see that he is now one of the squad’s elder statesman. “Since Stan took over a lot of young lads have come into the squad,” he observed.
“The transition has been absolutely massive in the last couple of years. Just look at the strikers. It’s a very healthy situation. It’s important in years to come when I’m not around or anyone else that young lads are in the squad. Competition is always good.
“This is a new period for Irish football,” he emphasised. “Look at the senior players who are here at the moment and there’s only five of us: me, Richard Dunne, Stephen Carr, Steve Finnan and Kevin Kilbane. The rest are all young lads. I believe in the next couple of years this team could go very far.”
He might have added 22-cap Andy Reid to the list of veterans, although the Charlton schemer’s international career has been of the stop-start kind. Happily, he is now back after a long lay-off — his last appearance was in the 5-0 win over San Marino in November — and Keane was happy to hail his return.
“Andy has got a great left peg,” Keane said. “He is spot-on from the dead ball and his assists are brilliant — for a striker he’s very good to play with. He can see a pass. When we’ve played together I think we’ve always done well. He’s vital for this team moving forward.”
Reid can certainly expect to see some action tonight, either in the middle or, more likely, on the right. The return of Newcastle’s Stephen Carr will add some more experience to the side, while Daryl Murphy of Sunderland and Darren Potter of Wolves will be anticipating the chance to build on their impressive senior debuts in America in May.
Doyle; Carr, Dunne, O’Shea, Finnan; A Reid, Potter, Kilbane, Hunt, Doyle, R Keane.
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