Keane reveals ulterior motive

SOCCER:"Folks, Roy's a stickler for time," the Sunderland press officer mused as the scribes shuffled for space in the cramped conference room in Malahide. As Anthony Stokes will testify, you don't arrive late for Keano.

Pre-season and back on home soil, Roy arrived, sun-kissed and very much chilled out. Alone at the top table, his eyes switched rapidly from face to face studying his latest environment.

His facial expressions revealed nothing of his mood. But it transpires he was ready to talk. A flashing smile here and there and, with afternoon training on site at Gannon Park, he wasn't in a rush.

He spoke for over half an hour, discussing everything from Paul McShane's arrival from West Brom to the inflated transfer fees and wages driving, or is that ruining, the game.

He touched, too, on the merits of the League of Ireland and how plans are afoot at Sunderland to dedicate a sleuth to trawl the clubs here in the hope of unearthing, and therefore not missing out on, the next diamond. "We have to make sure players don't slip through," he said. "We don't want to be caught by surprise."

Then that grin.

"The lads who went to Reading maybe did catch a few people out but I wasn't a manager then. We shouldn't dismiss players in the League of Ireland. Players who went to England and then lost their way have come back to play here. That doesn't mean they've lost that bit of talent they originally had. We have to be on our guard for these type of players."

Sunderland, of course, are here for a series of friendly games against League of Ireland opposition; Bohemians play host tonight, Cork on Monday and then it's on to Galway for a game on Wednesday.

Although, the PR drive has been that extensive and relentless - who doesn't know the Black Cat bandwagon is in town.

But a game is a game for Keane, he's not one to get sentimental on his home patch. Dalymount could be Rochdale on a dreary Tuesday night for all he cares. His approach and planning reads no different.

Nevertheless, refreshed after a three-day training camp in Portugal earlier in the week, he will use the coming days to groom his squad ahead of Tottenham's Premiership arrival in a fortnight's time.

As the press conference winded down a kiddies soccer camp on site was doing likewise at precisely the same time. Hundreds of kids, that is.

Older autograph hunters lurked menacingly for Keane but were quickly flattened by the hoard of youngsters who followed Keane "pied-piper" like out through the car park.

It took the former Republic of Ireland and Manchester United captain an age to walk 80 yards to the training pitch.

"Did you get his autograph?", one mother asked her children. "No," came the reply, "Roy Keane stole our pen."