Ireland await Noble’s call

While the veteran Shay Given was yesterday expressing his delight at an unexpected return to the Irish squad, potential new recruit Mark Noble was saying he still had a decision to make about his international future.

Ahead of today’s first training session at Malahide, Given said he was “delighted to be back in the Ireland squad and looking forward to meeting up with the boys again.”

Given, an unused sub as Aston Villa beat Hull City 2-1 yesterday, is expected to make his first appearance for Ireland since Euro 2012 in the friendly against Oman at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday, as manager Martin O’Neill fine-tunes his preparations for the start of the Euro 2016 qualifiers away to Georgia on Sunday.