WHILE strikers Chris Armstrong and Sean Dundee have now been ruled out of Mick McCarthy's plans for the Irish team on the basis of their ineligibility, John Aldridge appears to be on the verge of making his exit from the international scene after being appointed player manager at Tranmere Rovers.
The move was announced early yesterday at the club which is struggling near the bottom of Division One in England. Outgoing manager John King has been moved to a consultancy role at Prenton Park and 37 year old Aldridge takes over the reigns in time for this afternoon's home fixture against Leicester City.
"I'm delighted about it, but now I'm up to my neck in it. I've got an awful lot to think about before the game tomorrow," said Aldridge last night. "I've always said that this was something that I'd like to try my hand at, but I've been surprised at the way that it has happened."
The former Liverpool striker maintained that the move does not necessarily mean an end to his international playing days, but conceded that it was too early to make any firm commitments on the matter. He said that he would be in touch with the Irish manager at an early stage to discuss the situation.
"I'd love to keep playing for Ireland. I've enjoyed nothing more in my career, and I'd like to play again. But until I've spoken to Mick I can't really say what the situation is going to be. I'll get on to him as soon as I can, though maybe tonight and start sorting it out," he said.
Aldridge, who has scored 26 goals for Tranmere this season, has been named in McCarthy's squad for this month's friendly in Prague. But in the longer term it is difficult to see how he can reconcile his duties at club level with continued involvement on the pitch for Ireland.
Whatever about his future with Ireland, though, his playing career with Tranmere now seems certain, barring injuries, to last at least one more full season and possibly two.
Tranmere's difficulties this year have been attributed to a lack of cash for new players following the departure of millionaire chairman Peter Johnson to nearby Premier Division outfit, Everton. While he would not disclose if any substantial funds would be made available to him for new talent at the club, Aldridge said: "It's between me and the club, but everybody knows that there is not a lot of money around the place."
He expressed sympathy for King, who had taken Tranmere to the First Division play offs three times in recent years. "He's left under difficult circumstances and I would have liked all of this to happen in some other way. But that's football."
