Doyle walks in footsteps of giant

IRISH football has been trying for a few years now to find a replacement for Roy Keane.

Brian Kerr probably came closest when he persuaded Keano to replace himself but, long before Thierry Henry became a hate figure in this country, the Frenchman spoiled any chance of Keane finishing the second chapter of his international career on a high note, with a winning goal at Lansdowne Road to kill off our World Cup 2006 qualifying hopes.

Since Keane walked down the tunnel that night (injury subsequently ruling him out of the remaining qualifiers), Ireland has — not surprisingly — struggled to find a similarly inspirational figure, a player who could reasonably be described as the heartbeat of the team.