Gavin Cooney reports from the Aviva Stadium

CAOIMHÍN KELLEHER WILL start tomorrow’s friendly international with Belgium, manager Stephen Kenny has confirmed. 

With first-choice Gavin Bazunu out with illness and Mark Travers also absent with injury, Kelleher has recovered from an illness of his own to link up with the Irish squad and stake a claim for the starting spot. Kenny also said Kelleher is likely to play in Tuesday’s friendly against Lithuania, with James Talbot of Bohemians and Bristol City’s Max O’Leary called up as deputies. 

“Caoimhín will definitely start, that’s absolutely right, for sure. He’ll most likely play the two matches now, I think it’s fair to say, and deservedly so.

“He’s had to be patient because of an unfortunate injury. He missed the last March camp with injury and Gavin Bazunu has come in and been absolutely outstanding, outstanding.

“We’re on a run of four and a half games now consecutively without conceding a goal -and Caoimhín has played his part in that because he played against Qatar.

“In Caoimhín’s two matches to date against Qatar and Hungary, he hasn’t conceded a goal either, so he deserves his chance because he’s been absolutely excellent. He has all-round qualities, really. His composure under pressure and his general athleticism, his ability to make brilliant saves.

 “But obviously he’s been in a great environment at Liverpool for a few years now and training every day at a very high standard and playing in the games that he’s played in, so he’s got good experience.”

Captain Seamus Coleman, meanwhile, was asked to forecast the development of Bazunu and Kelleher, when asked whether the Irish team is entering a golden period of goalkeepers. Coleman is usually loathe to get ahead of himself – and while he leavened his opinion with the usual disclaimers – he couldn’t help but agree. 

“Listen it’s early days, like everything you don’t want to put too much pressure on them at the minute. To be completely honest with you, they are two exceptional goalkeepers. What we see in training on a daily basis from both of them is both to a very, very high standard. They are both very humble lads which is important, and both very eager to have a career in the game. It’s early days for them but if they keep that mentality along with that quality they can go a long way. We’re very excited by how they train and how they play.”

Tomorrow’s game is the showpiece event of the FAI’s centenary celebrations, with the significance of the occasion leading to questions for both manager and captain to give their opinions on the greatest players to play for Ireland. 

“I’d better not mention anyone in the current squad because I’ll upset someone before tomorrow’s game having left them out”, said Coleman. 

“Listen, I’ve been lucky to play with some great players with Ireland, Damien Duff comes to mind, Richard Dunne, Robbie Keane, Shay Given – they were really, really powerful players for Ireland.

“I suppose growing up, for me you would be looking at Roy Keane, how good he was for Ireland, how in certain games he carried them in big games, the Holland game, which was a memorable one. I know Jason McAteer scored, but Roy Keane’s performance in that game was unbelievable. 

“There are some Irish played before me that I can’t remember, John Giles, Liam Brady, players like that, but they’re the ones off the top of my head.”

Kenny echoed the mention of Brady.

“When I was growing up we had four at Liverpool and four at Manchester United and the players at Arsenal and all the top clubs at the time. There were so many great players in that period. In my early years obviously Liam Brady was outstanding, he was the most creative influence, probably, and he was the player I thought was brilliant. After that, the Ronnie Whelans and Ray Houghtons were terrific and really creative. I thought they were exceptional.”