Respect: good. A win: better

ROY KEANE is backing the spirit of ‘73 to help Sunderland turn around their Premier League campaign today.

Memories of perhaps the greatest day in the club’s history will echo around the Stadium of Light ahead of the clash with Reading as Wearside rises to pay its respects to FA Cup final hero Ian Porterfield.

Porterfield, the man whose goal at Wembley shot down Don Revie’s Leeds superstars 34 years ago and wrote him into the city’s folklore, died at a Surrey hospice on Tuesday evening.

Keane will not allow his players to be caught up in the emotion of the day, but will tell them that there could be no better way to celebrate the life of a club legend than ending a run of four successive defeats by winning three precious points.

He said: “Over the years, there have been many occasions where you give a minute’s silence or there’s a minute’s applause.

“It’s important that the club make the effort and we all show our respects, of course. But when the whistle goes, you have to stay focused on the job at hand — I’m sure that’s what Ian would have wanted, and I’m sure his family and our supporters.

Meanwhile Reading striker Shane Long is hoping to beat and then meet Roy Keane — the man he regards as his idol.

He said: “When I was a kid he was always my idol and he has done so much for the game in Ireland. But I would have no problem taking three points off him on Saturday.

“Legend is a word that is used too often but it suits him, especially for Irish football.

“It would be a good time in my life to meet him — so hopefully I can do that after a win.”