|
" It was brilliant, fantastic really, a bit of a whirlwind but I'm very proud and very privileged to be there. I knew a couple of the lads there, Glenn Whelan was at Manchester City when I was there, Alex Bruce at Ipswich, I've known Alex since I was about ten years old. I think there were a few more I knew but those ones are off the top of my head.
" I joined up with the squad on Saturday afternoon. I got a phone call on Friday saying that Liam Brady wanted me to come across, and Alan Kelly and obviously (Giovanni) Trapattoni. I was thinking it was a bit of a joke really and someone was taking the mickey out of me, it's something that you don't really expect. After what had happened on the Thursday against Leeds I was a bit down and that obviously. I spoke to Liam Brady on the Friday night and I got a flight at 3pm on Saturday afternoon to Portugal.
" Every club whether it's international or a league club, we all do more or less the same sort of training. So in terms of the training exercises they don't really change much. Obviously it's international though so you have got people like Robbie Keane who is doing the business week in and week out at Premier League level.
" Deano (Dean Kiely) has more or less played 750 games now over the course of his career. He's 37 now but he's still producing the sort of games that you need to produce, and last night he was unbelievable. He (Trapattoni) is very much, he is learning English but he is still very good at it. He gets his point across to all the lads and he is a character, I'll say that. He gets his point across, he is very enthusiastic, and all the lads seemed to thrive on it.
" I can take confidence out of it that I can get into the Ireland squad, which is fantastic and a very proud moment for me really and my family. I don't know really, you make a lot of new friends if you know what I mean, it's new experiences off other people. It's just been brilliant really. It was never the case that I saw Joe Lewis get called-up for England and I thought it might have been me. Obviously Ireland came calling and I don't think that I even hesitated, and that's the way it is really. There is no decision to make on Ireland or England, I'd like to think that I can play for Ireland so I'm going to try to do that.
" Fred (Story) is talking to my agent, obviously a lot has been said in the papers and what have you. I've got a year left on my contract though and until I hear otherwise then I'm a Carlisle United player. I've got a contract so there is no point in really trying to discuss anything, or even speculating on anything. Because how I see it I'll be turning up on the 3rd of July for pre-season training unless I hear any different. "