Call-up quite a step up for the likely lad

Steve Staunton's decision to bring 16-year-old Terry Dixon to Portugal next week might have just a little to do with the new Republic of Ireland manager's desire to signal to those running the country's under age teams he is aware of the progress being made by their brightest and best.

There is, however, no question about how highly the Spurs striker is rated, with Staunton clearly enthusiastic about the youngster yesterday while Dixon's manager at international level this year, Seán McCaffrey, described him as having every attribute necessary to take him all the way to the top over the coming years.

"He has great feet, he's very clever, has great touch and he's strong," observes McCaffrey.

"If there's a reservation at all," he adds, "it's that's he's not lightning quick but he's still quick enough given all the other things he has going for him."

Dixon himself was still trying to take the news of his call-up yesterday afternoon at home with his family in north London.

"The manager (McCaffrey) said to me during the (under-17) European Championship games a few weeks ago that this might happen," he said. "I've thought a lot since about whether it would or not but it's still a surprise, a bit of a shock really."

The call up represents quite a leap forward for a player who started the season in the Spurs under-16s and finished in the club's under-18 side. He has yet to make his reserve team debut and has not trained with the first team squad enough even to be on speaking terms with Irish first team squad players like Robbie Keane, Andy Reid and Stephen Kelly.

A Spurs player since he was just eight years old, Dixon was born in London but his mother, whose maiden name is Brady, comes from Cavan. As it happens, the player was due to visit relatives there next week but will now be travelling to Portugal.

There has been talk of an approach from England (he could switch his allegiance up until the age of 21) but apparently none has ever been made and, in any case, he says, "I'm delighted to be playing for Ireland, every time I pull the shirt on is a great thrill for me so it's really not an issue.

"There are a few nerves about it all at this stage," he said of the upcoming training camp, "but I'm looking forward to it. It's the first time I'll have trained with senior players like this for a few days and I know it's something to be enjoyed, it might never happen me again."