While Aidan McGeady and Shane Long are the subject of daily speculation, the Irish skipper returned to school yesterday – well, Carlow IT to be precise – to start work on his A and B coaching badges. Some day, he reckons, they might provide the basis for a career in management, but for the moment it’s about broadening his horizons.

“It was a good insight into how the other side works, if you like,” he said last night. “I enjoyed it. It’s been good seeing the coaches, Tom (O’Connor) and Jason (O’Donoghue – coaching tutors on his FAI-run course) and how they work.”

After Carlow, Keane will continue the work in Dublin next week after which he has a short break before returning to the States and preseason training with his club. By then, the futures of his various Irish team-mates may well be sorted, but in the meantime, he insists, he has too much on his plate to pay much attention.



Linked with Everton

Given how long it’s being going on, Keane has, he admits, heard about McGeady being linked with Everton and while he maintains that he had no inside track on the story, he does believe that “if he goes there it would be a good club for him. They’ve a good manager, they’re a good club to play for, with a good tradition; a very stable club so I think that would probably be the right move”.

The Irish lads already there get a mention in the case for McGeady heading to Goodison, with James McCarthy having impressed since his move from Wigan in the summer and Seamus Coleman absolutely excelling. “Yeah, I’ve seen bits and bobs. I know he’s scoring a few goals and I think Seamus certainly has that, the way he plays and attacks, he’s the modern day full-back, if you like, and he certainly fits the bill to be one of the top, top players . . . he’s already proving that; he’s been brilliant.”

The pair are likely to be reunited in March when Ireland play Serbia, with Keane adamant that he will be fit by then, having completed his ongoing rehab from an Achilles problem that ultimately required surgery, and available: “I’m always available,” said the Irish skipper with striking certainty.



Chicago Fire midfielder

Mike Magee, the Chicago Fire midfielder, and Shane O’Neill, the young Cork-born Colorado Rapids defender, are unlikely to be there, given they were called up by United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann last week and might yet feature in his World Cup plans.

Keane says he has yet to run into O’Neill but knows Magee (he actually floated the idea of an Irish call-up on one of his last trips home) and has been in touch to wish him the best.

“I know Mike was delighted to get a call-up for the American team, it was probably a bit overdue to be honest but he got it and he’s delighted with that.”

Keane’s own focus is on the next European Championships, the draw for which is on February 21st. “At the moment,” he said, “I think we’re in a good position; it’s a new start, a fresh start for everyone under Martin O’Neill. It doesn’t matter who we get, I think we’re quite capable of giving anyone a game. Of course you want to avoid the Spains of this world.”

Deep down, though, the Irish captain might just prefer to avoid Portugal, too, given the form of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Keane normally ticks the box beside the name of Lionel Messi when the Ballon D’Or ballot paper arrives from Fifa but says that this time he made an exception. “I just think that this year he’s been fantastic. I mean look at what he did in the play-off against Sweden.”