Westwood covets Ireland top spot

06 October 2010 09:07
City keeper wants to oust Given Coventry City's 25 year old goal keeper Kieren Westwood has said he ultimately wants to be the automatic first choice goal keeper for the Republic of Ireland. He has been boosted in his quest now that the current incumbent Shay Given is not playing regular competitive football as his place in the Manchester City team has been taken by the new star of England Joe Hart. Westwood knows it will not be easy though, not least because Given plays in the Premier League while he plays in the Championship. “I am still fighting for my place and I obviously want to play but it is going to be difficult,” said Westwood. “Shay is a great goalie and what is happening to him at the moment is not great for him and not ideal for anyone really because Ireland want their better players playing regular football.” When Westwood was questioned about whether Given not playing would bolster his own chances of adding to his five caps he said, “I don’t know what the manager is thinking. Before the last international break I wasn’t playing after I was dropped for Millwall, but Shay deserves his place as No.1 and no-one is going to say any different because he is a top goalie who has produced time and time again for club and country.”  “I can’t really challenge him yet because he is obviously playing in the Premier League.I will always be ready but the thing is sub goalies don’t usually get on and that’s the way it goes, but I am delighted to have been called up again and I never take a call up lightly.” Westwood's future is unclear at the moment. He has refused to sign a new contract with Coventry City which mean that he can either leave in the sumer of 2011 for free, or he will be sold for whatever Coventry can get for him in the January transfer window. There has been plenty of speculation surrounding the future  of Westwood with the ayer being linked with a summer move to a host of Premiership clubs as well as with a move to Celtic, but ultimately nothing came of any of them. Westwood is with the Ireland squad in Dublin as they prepare for their next two qualifying games of  Euro 2012. Ireland take on Russia at The Aviva Stadium on Friday and then fly to Slovakia for Tuesdays game. Ireland are currently on top of Group B having beaten Armenia and Andorra, but Westwood knows that the next two game will pose a much more serious threat. “We have got Russia at home on Friday which is a massive game for us, although this is a big double header to be fair,” he said. “Then we have got Slovakia away next week and they are two of the main contenders for the group." "Slovakia beat Russia away in their last international break so we know we have got our work cut out and I am sure we would take four points now. But we want to win both games because we want to top the group.” Turning his attention back to his club football, Westwood reflected on the last game, the 0-0 draw at Hull and with the season so far. He said, “I think we kept our shape really well but maybe should have kept the ball a bit better and maybe not panic as much and put ourselves under pressure rather than them turn the screw on us, so to speak, but I am sure we will get better. “As long as we keep picking up points away from home, which we have done, we should be OK. We have mini cycles and although we are just short of it this time, as long as we are there or there abouts you are happy.” “I think we look more solid and a lot harder to break down this year. Saturday was only our second clean sheet but I think we have been quite unlucky. We have made mistakes but they have been punished by good finishes, but you have to earn your luck and keep at it." “The problem at Hull was we invited pressure on ourselves towards the end by kicking the ball out of play and doing things that didn’t need to happen. That picked their players and crowd up and we end up going further back, but it’s all about learning curves, but I am more than happy with a clean sheet and I know the centre-halves feel that way too.”

Source: FOOTYMAD