Striving to make the right impression

Mary Hannigan hears Steve Finnan acknowledge the advantages of being versatile for club, Liverpool, and country.

Almost a third of his 33 Irish caps have come as a substitute and at Liverpool these days he's invariably left on the bench by Rafael Benitez - in six of his last nine appearances for the club he's only come on for the final 25 or 30 minutes. Steve Finnan, then, has learned not to take for granted his place in the starting line-up, for club or country.

"Obviously it's a question for the manager whether I'm starting tomorrow," he said yesterday at the team hotel. "He is," said Brian Kerr, sitting beside him.

Finnan beamed. He might have started in Kerr's last three games, against Switzerland, France and the Faroe Islands, and Steve Carr, Andy Reid, Roy Keane and Matt Holland might be missing for tonight's game against Croatia, but Finnan is still inclined to regard a place in any first XI as a rare treat.

"That's nice," he said, "because in recent weeks I've not been starting as many as I would have liked at Liverpool. I didn't start too many games for Ireland in the European qualifiers so that was disappointing, but I've been involved in all four of the World Cup qualifiers (he came on as substitute in the opening game against Cyprus but started in the next three) so that's been a good boost."

"After the last campaign we needed to change some things about the team, we needed to freshen it up around the pitch in general," said Kerr. "The summer games - a tough little spell of matches against very good opposition - gave me the opportunity to play a lot of the players who hadn't played so much and Steve did very well in them.

"He played quite well against Switzerland (on the right side of midfield) and for the French game I didn't have any doubt he would do the job - and he was part of an outstanding performance. Whatever position he's played in he's done well. I think his versatility is a good thing for us, and for him - we want players who can adapt to different situations and positions, if that's what's required, and Steve can do that."

Finnan acknowledges his versatility can be an advantage - even though he has lost his favoured right-back position to Josemi at Liverpool, Benitez has been able to use him on the right side of midfield, when required (eight of his 11 starts for Liverpool this season have come in that position) but it doesn't stop him pining for the position he feels most comfortable in.

"Well, I suppose every player says 'if I'm playing that's the main thing' and that's been the case for me. I've played in a few different positions but right back is my normal position, the one I prefer. But I haven't been playing too much there for my club either so when I've played right midfield for Ireland it's not been too foreign to me."

The arrival of Josemi at Liverpool led to speculation Finnan would be on his way. Ironically he was linked with a move to Tottenham who were seeking a replacement for Stephen Carr, the player who fills the right-back slot on the Irish team Finnan covets.

"There were quite a few rumours but the club never said anything to me and I never said I wanted to leave," he said. "I'm sure there'll be rumours again come January or at the end of the season, not just about myself but about a lot of other players at the club. If I wasn't involved in the squad every week I suppose I would be looking to try to get away, but at this moment that's not the case."