Unexpected senior call-up a real fillip for eager striker

True, he's had a promising start to his career with Reading, where he moved from Cork City during the summer, but Kevin Doyle still wasn't quite expecting a call-up to the senior international squad, just yet. Certainly not this week. He had, after all, already booked a flight home for next weekend to see his family in Wexford.

"I wasn't expecting it, but I'm not complaining," he smiled. "I was just going home to see the family, I would have watched the game with them on television. But I was delighted, and so was everyone in Wexford," he said, "it's great for soccer in the county, it's not really given as much credit or publicity as it could be, so this is a nice boost. People will take more of an interest in it now, I hope."

Having trained with the senior squad for the first time yesterday Doyle, back at the team hotel, was offering a definite "no" to the question "was this a bad time to be called up to the squad", considering the pressure of the two games and the gloom that hung in the air following the French defeat.

"Any time I would have been happy with," he said in reference to his call-up, "there's more focus on these games so it's probably even better for me.

"Anyone should enjoy being called in at a time like this: for two games that could qualify us for the World Cup."

It's hard to credit that it's 12 months since the Irish players bid adieu to Dublin on the eve of their first away game in this World Cup qualifying campaign, when they travelled to Basel and returned with a point.

A year on they might not be expected to be quite so buoyantly confident about their prospects in the group, with just two games to go, but on the eve of their departure for their final away game the new boy was insisting that the mood in the camp remains positive and optimistic.

"I think they've been playing well all along, they've been a bit unlucky at times, and if they keep that up they should win both games - and that's definitely a play-off place then, so that's what we're looking for. But everyone's confident it can be done, you can sense that in the squad, everyone is just determined to get the two wins from these games and really believe it can be done."

Doyle, who played Gaelic football with Wexford up to minor level, before focusing on his soccer career, has had an encouraging beginning to his career in England and, along with David Connolly, was brought into the squad, in the absence of the suspended Clinton Morrison, to add some numbers to Brian Kerr's depleted attacking options.

"It was just nice to meet up with everyone, get the first training session out of the way, I enjoyed it," he said. "Confidence-wise the move to Reading has done a lot for me, things have gone well so far, and even getting to train with the senior Irish squad can only help me, mixing with players like that."

"It is a big jump from the under-21 squad. Most under-21s aren't playing for their clubs' first teams so that's the first job, to make that breakthrough, once you do you can start hoping for a senior call-up, hope you catch the manager's attention.

"I'm delighted it's come this quickly."

Do you think you would have got this call-up if you had still been playing in the Eircom League?

"I don't know the answer to that," he said, "but I'm sure playing in the Championship with Reading and scoring a few goals has helped my cause a lot.

"The main difference for me in England is that I've been playing in front of bigger crowds and also playing against a higher quality of defender and being able to score against them gives you a good boost of confidence, especially when you've just come in to the squad."

Your Irish footballing heroes?

"People like Niall Quinn, Tony Cascarino, John Aldridge, players like that, players I grew up watching."

How would you feel if you played on Saturday?

"It would be massive, I'd be the first person from Wexford to get a cap so it would be amazing.

"For me and my family. And if we could win it would make it a massive day."