True-grit McShane gets Keane seal of approval
Wednesday August 15 2007
PAUL McSHANE got one of the biggest compliments of his burgeoning career yesterday when he was held up as a shining example of the ideal professional by Roy Keane.
McShane was singled out for praise after Sunderland's dramatic 1-0 victory over Tottenham when he helped keep the shackles on Spurs' multi-million-pound strike force.
And there was more encouragement for him yesterday when Keane declared that the 21-year-old Irish international and his team-mate Dickson Etuhu were the type of players he wanted on Wearside.
"Players with a good character have nothing to be nervous about," he said. "There's nothing to be nervous of in the Premier League, nothing to be fearful of.
"A lot of it's built up as the Premier League is this, the Premier League is that. A lot of teams have 24 or 25 top players but it's still 11 versus 11. Their players have two arms and two legs like us."
Scathing
In the midst of a scathing attack on today's hen-pecked Premiership stars, Keane said that attracting players with mental resolve and dedication was his priority.
Keane will renew acquaintances tonight with former Manchester United team-mate Steve Bruce when Sunderland take on Birmingham City at St Andrews. The pair were integral members of United's all-conquering mid-1990s line-up bursting with big names.
Sunderland's boss is working hard to instil the same dressing room mentality at the Stadium of Light, but the 36-year-old Cork native is quickly having to come to terms with the fact that a growing number of current players simply do not possess the same single-minded approach to their profession.
Keane said: "It's important you bring the right players to the club. You can't always be a Steve Bruce but you can be a character who comes in and gives 100% for the club.
"But I have to say I think the game is getting less and less characters. They are more motivated by lots of different things like money and London and living in shopping areas.
"It concerns me really. It should all be about the football and be a footballing decision. You look at Brucie. He was a top character. If you look at him as a centre-half he wasn't exactly 6ft 4ins, and he wasn't lightning, let me tell you. But he had the character and desire to do well and that made him a top player, and hopefully a top manager, so you need that kind of character in your dressing room."
Touching on his own experience when it came to transfer moves, the former Old Trafford skipper revealed that he once received an approach from Juventus.
"People spoke to me about Turin and said, 'Ooh, Milan would be nicer'. But I replied that I wouldn't be going there for the bloody shops. It should be a footballing decision.
"What's your priority? Your wife and her shopping, or your football? Or money? If someone doesn't want to come to Sunderland because their wife likes shopping in London, it's a sad state of affairs.
"People who get bored coming up here are bored for one reason - because they're boring." Keane will look for two more strong characters before the transfer window closes, with former Newcastle striker Andy Cole emerging as a surprise candidate following the apparent failure to land Mido. The 35-year-old Cole is a free agent after being released by Portsmouth.
He said he would be "very surprised" if he did not make changes for the clash at St Andrews, with match winner Michael Chopra possibly in line for his first start. "It's hard to get too excited after one game but it was a good start for Chops. He was disappointed not to start but he reacted how I hope all my players will do," he added.
"Nobody wants to be left out and, of course, they will be disappointed. But the good lads - the good characters - will react in the right way. They will just get on with the job and they'll look at you and say 'I'll show you'."
Greg Halford is expected back in the squad after recovering from a hamstring strain but Grant Leadbitter (also hamstring) is still definitely ruled out.
- Mark Staniforth
