Kelly takes another bow

NO surprises for guessing what subject has dominated the conversation among the Irish contingent at Craven Cottage recently.

“All that Damien and myself can talk about in the last few weeks is this game,” says Stephen Kelly, with something not far off a fan’s enthusiasm for the European Championship play-off.

Damien, of course, is his Fulham team-mate — Damien Duff, a player who was performing at the World Cup finals when Kelly, then aged 19 and just starting out on his career at Spurs, was still that fan looking in from afar.

“I watched the 2002 World Cup games in Tolka Rovers football club, my old team as a kid,” he recalls. “My then girlfriend, now wife, Helga played basketball for Tolka Rovers and I watched the games in the bar there with her.

“I was living every kick of every game. You are a fan and it’s amazing and you can’t help but get into it.

“And I remember going to the Phoenix Park when they came home and the atmosphere was great.”

Now, at Fulham, Kelly still sees another legacy of that World Cup in Japan and Korea, the last time Ireland qualified for the finals of a major tournament. “I remember Duffer’s signature bow (after scoring against Saudi Arabia) and I think he has the biggest majority of Asian fans because of that,” he smiles. “It’s amazing the number of Asian fans who come to the ground and come over to him. It’s unbelievable the respect he has because of that. And, yeah, he gets a little bit of slagging over it too!”

28-year-old Dubliner Kelly is one of those players — and, contrary to what some seem to think, they actually form the majority of the Irish squad — who happily confounds the conventional wisdom that the modern professional footballer is out of touch with the reality of life for supporters of the game.

“I know what it was like when the team went to that World Cup,” he says. “I was there cheering us on with my friends and family, so if we get there now it would be the same again. And especially the way the country is now. There are a lot of things happening that are not looking good so I think it would be a great boost to give the country if we could qualify. It would put a smile on people’s faces and people could focus on something else, away from the negatives.”

Although only a bit-part player at Craven Cottage in recent times, injuries to first choice personnel have seen Kelly play a significant role in Ireland’s European Championship qualifying campaign, with starts away to Macedonia and Russia and at home to Armenia. Now, with John O’Shea injured, Kelly looks set for another start against Estonia in Tallinn on Friday in his favoured right-back berth.

“As they say, one person’s misfortune is another person’s gain,” he reflects. “It’s disappointing not to have Josh in the team and the squad as he is such a big and experienced player. But, for me, hopefully it’s another chance to continue on the good run of form I have had recently.”

Kelly, along with Duff, has also had recent first-hand experience of one key member of Friday’s opposition, Estonian keeper Sergei Pareiko having been between the posts when Fulham put four goals past Wisla Krakow in the Europa League — with one of those coming from Duff.

“The keeper pulled off a few good saves,” Kelly recalled. “He is quite tall, well over six feet and seems to be quite agile as well. But Duffer has one up on him already and I’m sure we will be testing him on Friday and Tuesday.”

Kelly insists that the ‘favourites’ tag will have no bearing on how Ireland play against Estonia. All that matters, he feels, is that the team lives up to its potential in both games.

“We haven’t been complacent when talking about these games,” he says. “We have had a good campaign and got ourselves into a good position and can qualify. But we have not achieved anything yet. And it would be such a shame now to let all that hard work and effort go to waste. We are very determined as a team and everybody can see the close knit unit we are. We are desperate to get to this tournament.”