Long eyes win over idol Roy

IT WAS a question that had been posed a million times before and perhaps never will be fully answered but Shane Long couldn’t help quizzing the Sunderland contingent of the Republic squad anyway. “Roy Keane,” he found himself asking. “Just what is he really like?”

But the Reading striker, who hopes to bring about the Black Cats’ downfall at the Madejski Stadium today, was not quite the star-struck fan. His aim was to discover whether the former Manchester United man still possessed the attributes that made him feared across the globe and soon received an answer from Paul McShane, Darryl Murphy, Anthony Stokes and Co.

“The main question I ask them is “can he still do it?” and they all say he can,” Long said. “He joins in, in training sometimes and takes the mick.” A pause. “They are probably afraid to tackle him though.’’

Added Long: “Afterwards, if I see him around, I would love to shake his hand but first I want to score a goal and hopefully take three points off him.

“I’m from Tipperary but I lived in Cork and he was a big influence when I was there. When I was a kid I would watch him play for Manchester United every week and I loved him as a player.”