Keane set to be named captain

SOCCER/Republic of Ireland v Sweden: After the Irish people's decision to embrace the euro and the Government's switch to metric speed limits the FAI developed a welcome taste for the continental approach to media relations yesterday.

For as long as anyone can remember the press conferences during the build up to international games have been what might be described as "meat and two veg" affairs. Now, however, all has changed, changed utterly.

At the team's north Dublin base in Portmarnock yesterday, where it emerged Robbie Keane is to be unveiled as the new Irish captain today, bemused journalists scrambled about to cope with the number of would-be interviewees handed to them by the association.

Such situations are the norm across much of Europe but having long been used to the "English model" of grumpy interviews, begrudgingly given, Irish hacks were struggling to contain their delight yesterday while leading players were showing, in the parlance of the game, clear signs of being "up for it".

"After the disappointment of the last campaign I think we're all trying to do things differently," observed Damien Duff, "and you feel it already, there's a real sense of excitement in the air amongst the players, the management and here today with the media. A lot of the lads wouldn't be media types, if you know what I mean, for a couple of years the relationship hasn't been great for whatever reason but we're looking to change that. You need us and, well, we need you, I suppose."

Emphatic stuff from the Duffer then but behind the scenes there is a clear sense it would be unwise to get overly carried away with the new approach. Players will not, like their Dutch counterparts, be conducting interviews in six different languages nor, like the French, hanging out endlessly in jazz clubs. And some counter measures have been adopted too with the aim of striking a balance.

Well, just one counter-measure, in fact . . . that most Irish of institutions - Mick Byrne - has been brought out of retirement with one of international football's less qualified physios returning in a less hands on role to considerable acclaim from the players.

"I wouldn't have said it was so great at 10 o'clock this morning," says Duff with a smile and a shake of the head. "The first I knew of him being back was finding him on top of me, kissing me in the bed. Not pleasant," he grins, "not pleasant at all."

Like many others Duff seems genuinely delighted Byrne is back. "He's a special guy and having him about the place again can only add something."

It is, the Chelsea winger feels, just one of many ways in which the new manager is trying to restore "whatever it is we lacked" last time around. Time is short, though, and Duff acknowledges Steve Staunton needs to move swiftly in order to prepare so many young players for the campaign ahead.

"There's five or six of them in this squad and they need to get games as soon as possible," he says. "I've said before, it probably took a couple of years before I felt entirely a part of it and so the next while is going to be a big time for them but then it's a big time for the likes of Robbie (Keane) and me too."

Keane, indeed, is set to be unveiled at lunchtime today as the team's new captain, something that will perhaps be viewed with a little surprise in some quarters despite his status as vice-captain at Tottenham where he has skippered the side on several occasions this season.

Staunton has clearly identified the striker as somebody who can motivate those around him and the Dubliner, who has scored 25 goals in 64 previous appearances for his country will now be asked to lead the team from the front.

Recent speculation on who would be appointed to the role had almost exclusively centred on Shay Given and the goalkeeper is now, along with Manchester City defender Richard Dunne, is one of the prime candidate for the role of vice-captain.

There remains a doubt about who will partner Keane up front tomorrow night as Staunton confirmed yesterday that Kevin Doyle had had a scan on a slight calf problem that had been affecting him since before the weekend.

The manager insisted, however, the assessment was precautionary and it seems the young striker should be fit for selection.

Freddie Ljunberg has, however, fallen victim to a slightly more serious case of the same thing with bleeding in his right calf ruling the Arsenal striker out for a week and making him a doubt for next week's Champions League second-leg match against Real Madrid.

Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny meanwhile, has withdrawn from the squad due to injury and so Brighton's Wayne Henderson is set to start tomorrow's game on the bench with the 22-year-old now in with a good chance of earning his first senior cap at some point over the course of the evening.