SOCCER: On a day that will primarily be remembered by the club's faithful as the one on which Martin O'Neill, with typical dignity, departed, Robbie Keane provided some backing for the rampant speculation in these parts that his own arrival at Celtic might not be such a distant prospect.
Speaking after the Jackie McNamara testimonial game at Celtic Park, which the Republic of Ireland won 1-0 thanks to his 90th-minute goal, Keane acknowledged more than once that he has a year left on his contract at Tottenham. But the 24-year-old striker restated his desire to play for the Scottish club "some day", and he heaped praise on O'Neill's replacement, Gordon Strachan.
"I've always said that I'd love to play here," he said. "Like just about all of the other lads in the dressing-room I supported Celtic as a boy.
"I think Gordon will do a great job," he added. "I've played under him before (Coventry City) and I said a long time back that he was the best manager I've played under. He's a tremendous manager. He gets the best out of his players and he knows the game inside out."
Celtic have been linked with a move for the Dubliner but have been unable to come up with the money required to match the player's current income. That may change, as the end of a contract, the terms of which were heavily influenced by those he enjoyed under an extravagant Leeds regime, approaches and Strachan begins the task of rebuilding the ageing squad he officially inherits today.
In a reference to Strachan's arrival, O'Neill insisted that events, including his departure, were "the beginning rather the end of an era". There was little doubt as he spoke to the more than 50,000 supporters inside the ground after yesterday's game, however, that few would have willingly made the trade.
"They've been five great years," said O'Neill between bouts of rapturous applause. "We (he and his management team) have worked with some fantastic footballers. I'm overwhelmed by it all. It's just been brilliant to be a part of this great football club."
Through this, a lap of honour by McNamara and the paying of homage to returning heroes (Henrik Larsson) and departing ones (Paul Lambert), Brian Kerr and his Irish players were reduced to the role of onlookers.
Their role on the day had been little more than to make the numbers for what was a distinctly Glasgow-Irish affair, but they did what was required of them well, perhaps a little too well given the result.
The Ireland manager expressed satisfaction with the way things had gone. With John O'Shea having returned home to Waterford on Saturday following the death of his grandmother (he is still expected to join the squad tomorrow), there had been a little experimentation in defence with Steven Reid slotting in at right back and Roy Keane putting in a spell at centre half.
What Kerr saw had pleased him, as had the fact that, a slight knock to Joe Murphy aside, there was no new injury worries. Reid's performance was one of the few points of positive interest from an Irish perspective, with the Blackburn midfielder impressive in a role he has not played since his days at Millwall.
And with Stephen Carr suspended, Alan Maybury doubtful and Steve Finnan's fitness uncertain until he shows up and trains this week, the possibility of Reid wearing the number two shirt against Israel on Saturday was not being discounted by either the player or his manager.
"With the suspension and injuries, maybe there's an opportunity there, I don't really know because it's too early to say at this stage," Reid said. "All I can say is that maybe after playing there today I've given the manager some food for thought. I hope so," added the 24-year-old, who had not played for the Republic since the Poland game almost 14 months ago, "because it was great to pull on the Ireland jersey again."
Kerr conceded Reid remains an option for the position, but said things would become a clearer tomorrow when Finnan is due to arrive in Dublin, and Leicester City are expected to tell Kerr whether Alan Maybury is fit to travel.
In the meantime, he said, he was just pleased to see his players get a run out that will stand to them when they take the field against Israel on Saturday.
"It was good," he said. "We got all the players playing and they were delighted with it. A few of them had said that they felt they needed the game and all of them played."
The mood remains confident within the squad ahead of Saturday's game and the one against the Faroe Islands next week, although, he insisted, it is not essential that Ireland win both games.
"I've been asked about this before and I said the same thing," he said. "We can win the group without winning the games, but obviously it would make things a little easier.
"We'll certainly be aiming for six points, though, and things have been going well so we feel we have reason to be (confident) as we prepare for them."
• Israel manager Avraham Grant has named his 21-man squad for the World Cup qualifier with the Republic of Ireland on Saturday. Goalkeepers: N Davidovitch (Maccabbi Haifa), D Awat (Racing Santander), O Cohen (Maccabi Petach Tikva). Defenders: A Yechiel, K Saban, A Keisi (Hapoel PetachTikva), A Benado, A Harazi (Maccabbi Haifa), A Rabach (Bnei Sachnin), S Gershon (Hapoel Tel Aviv). Midfielders: A Suan (Bnei Sachnin), A Nimni (Beitar Jerusalem), I Tal, Y Katan (Maccabbi Haifa), T Hen (Hapoel Tel Aviv), D Revivo (M Sashdod), O Afek (Salamanca). Strikers: O Golan (Maccabbi Petach TIkva), M Biton (Bnei Yeuhda), Y Benayoun (Racing Santander), P Balil (kaiserispor)
