Westwood Covets Ireland Top Spot
Last updated : 06 October 2010 By Covsupport News Service/RD
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."
