Miller put up for sale by Keane

SUNDERLAND boss Roy Keane will not allow sentiment to cloud his judgment as he builds for the future.

Keane yesterday placed 27-year-old fellow Corkman Liam Miller on the transfer list as the Black Cats prepared for another summer recruitment drive.

Former Celtic and Manchester United man Miller was one of six men drafted in by the Irishman within days of his appointment in August 2006 and has now joined four other members of that sextet in being told he is surplus to requirements.

Only 36-year-old Dwight Yorke remains part of Keane’s plans, and his current contract runs out at the end of the season.

Miller is currently recovering from a calf injury and had been pencilled in for a possible return in the reserves this evening.

The Ireland international can only join a Football League club on an emergency loan deal before securing a permanent switch at the end of the season.

He has made 21 senior appearances this season, 14 of them in the starting line-up, and scored one goal, a late equaliser in the 2-2 derby draw at Middlesbrough.

Despite recent upheaval, the manager remains confident the passion and attitude within his squad will provide the basis for a successful survival fight.

“If you haven’t got that, you have got nothing,” said Keane yesterday, “If you want to be a top footballer, you have got to have drive and passion.

“That has no doubt helped us in a lot of games when sometimes our quality has let us down.

“But there is no questioning the desire and determination of our players, and that is what we will need between now and the end of the season because, trust me, there will be some ups and downs.

“It is about how you handle the disappointments, and we have had a fair few this season, remember.

“But the players always react in a positive way — you look back and even the disappointment of the Everton game (a 7-1 away loss), a bad defeat like that, and then we bounced back the following week and won.

“The players constantly get up from the knockdowns they receive, and that’s a great sign for me to have.”

Yesterday’s announcement came as Keane stepped up preparations for Saturday’s trip to bottom-of-the-table Derby, where his side will again look for a first league away win this season after losing a club-record equalling 10 on the trot.

Last weekend’s 1-0 reverse at Portsmouth left them in 15th place in the table, four points better off than Reading in 18th, but still perched precariously.

Meanwhile, Keeper Martin Fulop has been recalled from his loan spell at Stoke after just four days because of an injury to Craig Gordon’s deputy, Darren Ward.