Cox raring to go if Trapattoni gives nod

EURO 2012 QUALIFYING GROUP B:He can't get his game for West Brom, but Simon Cox is hoping for better luck with Ireland, writes EMMET MALONE

THE LIKES of Jens Lehman’s autobiography has comprehensively laid to rest any notion that players competing for the same place in a team selflessly root for each other as they sometimes like to claim and, sure enough, there’s a slightly guilty look about Simon Cox as he contemplates the possibility of a vacancy in the Republic of Ireland’s attack for tomorrow night’s vital European Championship qualifier against Armenia.

Cox, to be fair, comes across as likeable and well meaning, an impression confirmed by one of his rivals for a place in tomorrow’s starting line-up. Shane Long admitted last week to having been a little concerned when he first arrived at West Brom over the summer as to how the 24-year-old would react to his arrival. However, he needn’t have worried as the welcome was warm.

Still, it’s hard to argue with his simple logic that injuries, even to key players, give others the chance to prove themselves and he’s happy to grab it with open arms when it is presented.

It’s obviously a little bit weird,” he admits. “The team would be devastated to lose him (Keane). He’s a good quality player but it’s often that sort of thing that opens the door for somebody else; it’s sometimes that others get recognition because of a bit of bad luck for somebody.

“You’d never wish it on anybody. But whoever does take his place has to be fully equipped to handle the situation.”

Given his record of two goals in five appearances and generally impressive contributions on nearly every occasion he has featured, Cox stands a reasonable chance of seeing off the likes of Long and Jonathan Walters to partner Kevin Doyle tomorrow night.

He’ll happily make a case for himself, arguing, as he has done before, that there are similarities between his own style of play and Keane’s, although almost in the next breath he concedes that his fortunes at club level, where he has been peripheral under Ropy Hodgson so far this season, mean he is a little fortunate even to be in the squad.

“You know, I think I’m probably in the worst position in football at the moment; liked by a manager but not in his starting XI . . . if I wasn’t liked it would be easy to leave the club and go out on loan. But instead I’m trying to stay focused and get as many minutes under my belt at West Brom as possible, although at the moment that’s none. As long as I’m sharp in training, though, and the manager is happy with me then I’m raring to go . . . if selected

“If I’m honest, though, I’d have to say that I never expected to be in this squad. I was sat at home when the squad was announced and I told my missus that I’d made it. She was like: ‘Did you actually expect not to be?’ and I said: ‘Well, put it this way there are lads that are playing week in week out and scoring but they’re not getting in’.

“Don’t get me wrong, if I had been left out I would have been disappointed but I couldn’t have complained. You look at it and think: Well, if he’s going to pick lads on form and it’s all lads who are playing week in week out, then that’s fair enough really. He wouldn’t have had a phone call from me asking why I’m not in the squad because that wouldn’t have been right.”

Both Long and Walters have an edge over him now on that sort of criteria and Cox admits to having little argument if his club-mate starts given his form over the opening weeks of his Hawthorns career. His performance against Macedonia, though, and his goal after coming on against Italy mean his hopes can’t be written off.

“Like I say, if it is me who plays and it’s with Kevin (Doyle), I think it would be fine because I do think my style is a little bit similar to Robbie and maybe the manager sees a little bit of him in me.

“But if I play 15-20 minutes or 60-70 for that matter I’d be very pleased and proud to make another appearance and help us make the play-offs. I’m really itching to play but if I don’t I’ll be itching to get to the play-offs and once we’re there I’ll be itching to get through that to the Euros.”

And all along the way, he concludes, he’ll be fully behind whatever the manager decides to do. He sounds like he means it too which, you suspect, wouldn’t be at all to Lehman’s liking.