Hunt set to return as hunt is on

STEPHEN HUNT looks set to be recalled to the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time this season when Giovanni Trapattoni names his panel for Wednesday week’s friendly international against Norway this afternoon.

The extent to which the Italian delivers on his promise to look at some new players will be the focus of most attention, however, ahead of what promises to be a fairly low-key encounter.

Hunt has only just returned from a long lay-off through injury but having featured in each of Wolves’s last three games, the midfielder seems virtually certain to be included by Trapattoni.

In the circumstances, a number of previously peripheral players like Séamus Coleman and Marc Wilson seem likely to be handed opportunities to advance their cause and Ciarán Clark’s dramatic progress at Aston Villa since declaring for the Republic of Ireland would appear to merit his inclusion as well.

Clark, who is primarily a central defender, has made quite an impact in recent weeks, making his sixth appearance of the season against Birmingham City over the weekend when he effectively displaced Stephen Ireland in central midfield.

Jonathan Walters of Stoke City seems likely to be brought into the fold as Trapattoni seeks to broaden his attacking options.

The Italian has regularly talked up Caleb Folan, particularly in view of his performance in Bari against Italy last year, but the Hull City striker continues to be dogged by injuries and, like Paul McShane who is suffering from a thigh strain, the forward is expected to sit out his club’s league game against Scunthorpe at the weekend.

James McCarthy’s anticipated call-up will not now materialise, of course, due to the ankle injury for which he underwent surgery earlier this week while a couple of the former English under-21 internationals who have been linked with a possible switch of allegiance – Jamie O’Hara and Mark Noble – are also both sidelined at present.

Villa, as it happens, are, along with Liverpool, one of the clubs linked in recent days with a €4.6 million bid for Preston’s Seán St Ledger, a move that could, if it were to happen, restrict the younger player’s ability to nail down a regular place in the club’s first team.

One of the Airtricity League players said to have impressed Trapattoni in the past, meanwhile, was yesterday confirmed as the new chairman of the players’ union here, the PFAI.

Bohemians midfielder Paul Keegan has no shortage of experience of the problems players can end up facing when their clubs run into financial problems having previously been at Leeds United and Drogheda United when financial disaster struck and, not entirely surprisingly, the 26-year-old would like to see more protection for those who are caught up in such crises.

“Things have stabilised here a good bit over the last year or so,” he says, “and even if wages have come down in the process, it’s a good thing that players can have some confidence that whatever they have been told they are going to get under the terms of their contract is likely to be delivered.

“At the end of the day, though, the clubs have always looked to be the ones who have been calling the shots. They’ve over-extended themselves but then they’ve been able to go and offer players maybe 30 per cent of what they are owed and in many cases you find they are back signing new players so, while we’ve made progress, I’d like to see us do a bit more to secure the position of the players who get caught up in this sort of situation.”

A series of meetings between club officials and players are planned for the start of next week at Bohemians due to the financial problems there but Keegan says he isn’t aware yet of what exactly is going to be proposed.

“We just don’t know for sure what they’re talking until then.”