Tallaght pair meet at the top

Neighbours' children Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne will have arrived at their allotted posts by circuitous routes when they take up their stations in the Republic of Ireland senior team at Lansdowne Road this evening.

The two young men, who are both expected to face Greece in the World Cup warm-up game, grew up on adjoining roads in Tallaght but chose different routes for their football education: Keane went to Crumlin FC and Dunne crossed the Liffey to the renowned football nursery of Home Farm.

Later they would head for England at roughly the same time, Keane to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Dunne to Everton but now, at last, they are ready to play in the same team.

"We went our different ways a long time ago but we're still good friends," says Dunne. "Even as a very young player, Robbie was exceptional, so I'll be really looking forward to it if I get the chance of playing with him tomorrow evening."

That Dunne would one day have the opportunity of adding a senior cap to the ones he picked up at different stages of his career in underage competition was never really in doubt. A member of one of Dublin's best-known football families, his father, Dick played with Shamrock Rovers some 40 years ago while his uncle Theo was a Shelbourne legend before going on to managerial appointments with Home Farm and UCD.

Given that background, it was scarcely surprising that he forced his way into Everton's first team just a couple of months after his 17th birthday and claimed a place in Ireland's senior squad for a vital World Cup game in Romania shortly afterwards.

Last season he was again on the bench for the game against Mexico but now, at last, he's ready to take centre stage. "My selection in the squad for the game in Romania, was down to the fact that Mick (McCarthy) wanted to give me the experience of training with senior players and again last year I was making up the numbers.

"Now, hopefully, I'm in with a chance of making the team and that's one of the best feelings I've had in football."

At Goodison Park, the young Dubliner is affectionately known as the Honey Monster, a commentary on a benign nature set in an intimidating physical frame. His size didn't fit him for the role of a full back but now, thankfully, it looks as if he is to have the chance of playing in his preferred position in the middle of the back four.

"To get into the first team at Everton, I would have played anywhere, but centre back is my favourite," he says. "That's where I aim to play most of my football in future and I like to think that some of it, will be for Ireland."