O'Shea determined to build on recent success

Ireland's John O'Shea is not concerned where he plays for Manchester United this season and says he only worry is in fact getting…

Ireland's John O'Shea is not concerned where he plays for Manchester United this season and says he only worry is in fact getting into the team.

The 22-year-old emerged from obscurity to become one of the most cultured defenders in the Premiership last season.

His reward was a championship-winner's medal and the club's young player of the year award, recognition for his 32 league games.

O'Shea, who also broke into Brian Kerr's Republic of Ireland squad on a regular basis, admitted he was slightly surprised at the progress he made.

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But the Waterford man is determined to build on it over the next nine months, no matter what role he is asked to carry out.

A centre-half by preference, O'Shea found himself alongside Rio Ferdinand in the heart of the United defence for their four-match tour of the United States.

However, with Mikael Silvestre returning to the squad for the encounter with Sporting Lisbon last Wednesday, O'Shea moved into the left-back berth.

"Actually getting in the team is the most important thing for me just now," he said. "Where I play seems to bother other people more than me.

"I thought I did okay alongside Rio while we were on tour, especially in the games against Juventus and Barcelona when we are playing against very talented strikers.

"Patrick Kluivert in particular was a handful, but the more you play against people like that, the more experience you will get and the better you will cope with it.

"The other option is left-back and if the manager chooses me there, I will be happy. Put it this way, I won't be telling him to pick me in one position and not in another. Anyway across the back four is fine by me. I don't find it a problem."

So far O'Shea remains refreshingly unaffected by his new-found status and is concentrating solely on adding some more silverware to his collection. He gets an immediate chance to achieve that aim against Arsenal in The FA Community Shield tomorrow, a game which will provide another stern test of his defensive skills.

"They say the second season is the hardest, but, if selected, hopefully I can continue to show what I have done last season and even improve.

"I did surprise myself a little bit last season, but I was always hoping to get that chance, not just over one or two games, but 10 or 12.

"Life has changed a little bit and I feel more part of the squad than I did this time last year. But everybody has been really nice to me, especially back home in Ireland. I doubt it will last forever, but hopefully it will keep going for a long time."

PA