While his problems at Aston Villa, combined with his continued contribution in the heart of the Irish midfield, might suggest Mark Kinsella could become the first player to retire from club football to concentrate on his international career, the Dubliner yesterday warned that Dean Kiely's departure last week is just part of a growing trend amongst 30-something footballers.
"I think it's the way it's going and Deano will have looked at the way Alan Shearer's retirement from the England set-up rejuvenated him at club level and perhaps thought it was the right way for him to go too," said the man who roomed with Kiely since the goalkeeper joined the Irish team four years ago.
"When you turn 30, as I did last summer, you know that, well, that you're not 19 anymore and that your days are numbered. With everyone having to play so many games these days - well, saying that," he adds with a laugh, "I've only played one game in three months - but with most people playing so many games it's something that more and more players are going to consider."
He hopes to have a clearer idea of his own prospects for next season in a few weeks' time when he talks things over with Graham Taylor.
This week in Dublin, meanwhile, he has been getting to know his new room-mate, Kiely's replacement in the squad, West Brom's Joe Murphy, with whom he has a good deal in common with already.
"I knew his family and mine lived quite close to each other in Glasnevin, but I only found out yesterday that the pair of us live just around the corner from each other over in England. It's funny the way these things work out."
If manager Brian Kerr's comments yesterday about re-establishing the sense of continuity that existed in the Irish team during the build-up to last summer's World Cup are anything to go by then Kinsella is one of a number of players who started the recent games in Georgia and Albania that can expect to retain their places tomorrow evening against Norway.
The manager has again been fortunate in terms of withdrawals with, Kiely aside, just Gary Doherty, Gary Kelly and Andy O'Brien dropping out of the 24-man squad. However, with Kenny Cunningham and John O'Shea among the players who are present but doubtful because of injury, Richard Dunne was drafted in to bolster the numbers in central defence.
While Cunningham has a groin strain and O'Shea a knee problem, Steve Carr is suffering from a back problem that may limit his involvement and Mattie Holland picked up a knock to his knee in Saturday's game against Ipswich.
Kerr, who restated his disappointment with Kiely's decision to depart and then dampened any hopes Paddy Kenny might have been harbouring of a future call-up as Ireland's number three choice ahead of Murphy with a lukewarm response to a question about the Sheffield United goalkeeper's international prospects, said he was pleased to have such a strong squad to choose from for his first home game in charge of the team.
Across the city, meanwhile, Norway's Nils Johan Semb revealed Erik Bakke, Henning Berg, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and John Arne Riise had been pulled from his squad and that he had been obliged to draft in late replacements that included Tottenham striker Stefan Iversen who has recently returned from injury.
