Kiely answers manager’s call

DEAN KIELY has become the first Irish retiree to answer Giovanni Trapattoni’s call.

With Shay Given still recuperating from injury, the 37-year-old goalkeeper, who has just been promoted to the Premier League with West Brom, comes into the Ireland squad for next month’s training camp in Portugal ahead of the match against Serbia at Croke Park on May 24.

Former Charlton keeper Kiely won eight caps for Ireland but, after a long time in the back-up role, retired after making his last appearance in 2003.

John O’Shea will also miss the training camp in the Algarve for the very good reason that he will be otherwise engaged in Moscow as Manchester United go in search of their third European Cup against Chelsea.

At the end of a long season at Everton, veteran Lee Carsley may also pull out but Trapattoni yesterday indicated he expected no more than three or four withdrawals from his preliminary squad of 40.

That number will shortly be reduced to 28 players, before the squad heads to Portugal and then back to Dublin for the match against Serbia and on to London for the friendly against Columbia on May 27 in Craven Cottage.

Said Trapattoni yesterday: “We have two very important weeks coming up. I will be using the training camp in Portugal to get our ideas across to the players and explain to them my mentality which is always to give 110 per cent.”

It also emerged that Trapattoni has written a letter of introduction to all 40 players he selected for the squad. The manager also revealed that, in recent weeks, he texted a number of unnamed Irish players to wish them ‘good luck’ before big games.

In his bid for success, the veteran Italian has surrounded himself with a backroom blend of Italy and Ireland’s finest.

Marco Tardelli and Liam Brady are his right-hand men, whilst he also has former Irish internationals Frank Stapleton and Mick Martin to call on, with Fausto Rossi as fitness coach.

There is a feeling that if such an illustrious team are unable to get the best out of the current crop of players, then no-one can.

“I have always sought a challenge to bring out the best in me,” said Trapattoni,

“When Don Givens called and asked me if I would be interested in becoming Ireland manager, I became very excited. At that moment I was working in Salzburg (with Red Bull), but I needed a new experience, and thought this is the right one at the right time.”