SOCCER:AIDEN McGEADY will miss Wednesday's international against Argentina in order to resolve his club future with the player apparently leaning towards completing an €11.4 million move to Spartak Moscow rather than hanging on for a firm offer from a Premier League outfit.
Giovanni Trapattoni confirmed yesterday that after talking with the 24-year-old over the weekend it had been agreed that he would not come to Dublin this week. The Italian said: “We have left him to decide what he has to do. It’s an important time for him. He has to decide with the club what will happen. Maybe he will be happy to go to Russia, I must wait to talk with him again before I am sure but he’s not with us.”
Earlier, Celtic boss Neill Lennon had suggested that McGeady was indeed on the verge of joining Spartak. The player had widely believed to be trying to keep his options open in the hope that James Milner’s proposed move to Manchester City would result in him getting the chance to join Aston Villa, but Lennon now seems to think that the winger has been persuaded to take his chances in Russia.
“He was in yesterday and more or less said his goodbyes really, so we’ll see how that develops over the next one or two days but I would probably think it will be Moscow,” said Lennon after his side’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Blackburn Rovers. “Having spoken to him he seemed a lot more settled. He said he liked what he saw. I’d like to think the way he was talking, this is the club he will go to unless something happens last minute.
“He’s going there in the next few days to get the deal finalised and that will be a relief in terms of putting the deal to bed because the sooner it’s done the better. I’ll get all the money.
“I won’t be relieved at Aiden going because I’ll be losing my best player and nobody wants to do that but we feel it’s good money for a top player.”
Trapattoni said last week that he feels the player might be better opting for a move to England but one man who is pleased that McGeady looks to be on the move is Liam Lawrence, the Stoke City midfielder who is likely to replace him at Celtic.
“I fired him (McGeady) a text when I heard he was out . . . I won’t tell you what was in it,” said Lawrence with a grin after the Irish players trained at Malahide yesterday. “It’s a massive move for him but it’s an important one, a big decision football wise for him and a big one on the personal front too for him and his missus.”
Asked if he thought his own move to Celtic was dependent on McGeady leaving the club, Lawrence said: “That’s what I’ve been told so I would have thought so. You’ve more or less the nail on the head.”
Lawrence says he is looking forward to Wednesday’s game but Kevin Doyle and Richard Dunne emerged as slight doubts yesterday with the pair having to have scans on what appeared to be calf and knee problems respectively.
Robbie Keane, though, is fit and looking forward to earning is 100th cap after being named as the FAI’s senior international player of the year last night. Keane’s strike in Paris, an impressive team effort that the Spurs striker finished well, was also named as the Goal of the Year.
“As a young lad growing up you always dream of playing for your country and but you never think you’re going to reach a milestone like 100 caps,” he said last night. “I’m delighted, though, and honoured to join the group of players that has done it already.”
Asked about the highlight of his international career to date, he cited the late goal against Germany in Ibaraki during the 2002 World Cup, observing: “World Cups are what you play football for and that goal meant a lot, I think it gave the whole team a lift at the time.”
As to whether he expects to be around when the side starts its campaign to make it to Brazil, he admitted to being a little uncertain. “I don’t like to look that far forward, to be honest. I’ve always said that if somebody younger came in and took my place I might call it a day, but as long as I’m playing and feeling good then I’ll be happy to keep coming in for the games.”
The Dubliner got two goals over the weekend for Spurs, prompting praise from club manager Harry Redknapp who insisted he does not want to sell his striker after the 2-1 defeat of Fiorentina.
Keane insisted last night that he doesn’t anticipate going anywhere either. “No, no, I’m staying until somebody tells me differently. As far as I’m concerned, it’s all speculation. I’m a Spurs player and I think I’ll be there this season.”
He is positive, though, about the idea of McGeady going to Moscow. “It won’t do him any harm at all to go there for even a year or two and play Champions League. There’s no way it won’t improve him and he’s already one of the best players we have. He’d have some balls to go, though, if he does sign. You’d have to respect him for it.”
FAI AWARDS THE WINNERS
Senior International Player of the Year: Robbie Keane (Tottenham)
International Goal of the Year: Robbie Keane (France v Rep of Ireland, November 18th, 2009)
Young Player: Darron Gibson (Manchester United)
Airtricity League Player of the Year: Gary Twigg (Shamrock Rovers)
Under-21: Séamus Coleman (Everton)
Under-19: Lanre Oyebanjo (Histon FC)
Under-17: Stephen McDonnell (Dundalk)
Under-16: John O'Sullivan (Blackburn)
Football For All: Luke Evans (CP Squad)
Intermediate Player: Ken Hoey (Rockmount)
Senior Women's: Niamh Fahey (Arsenal)
Under-19: Julienne Russell (Salthill Devon)
Under-17: Dora Gorman (Salthill Devon)
Junior International: Wayne Fitzgerald (Carrick United)
FAI Schools: Shane Howard (Coláiste Eoin, Hacketstown, Carlow)
Hall of Fame: Ray Treacy
Special Merit: Olivia O'Toole
International Personality: Riccardo Villa.
