Kelly hints Westwood may have blown Irish chance

Keiren Westwood may have jeopardised his international prospects by withdrawing from the Ireland squad for the concluding World Cup qualifiers against Germany and Kazakhstan.

That was the message emerging yesterday from goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly ahead of the squad’s departure to Cologne for tomorrow’s meeting with the Group C leaders.

Despite being Ireland’s only Premier League stopper, Sunderland’s Westwood was unable to reclaim his place from David Forde for last month’s duels with Sweden and Austria.