NeilMcD
27/05/2005, 3:29 PM
Reid glad to be back
Republic of Ireland midfielder Steven Reid returned to the Ireland squad for the first time in over a year for the upcoming clashes with Celtic, Israel and the Faroe Islands and admitted that he hopes is injury problems are behind him.
Since bursting onto the Ireland scene in the run up to the 2002 World Cup finals and earning a late call-up to the squad following an injury to Mark Kennedy, Reid’s career has been interrupted by injury meaning that he has collected just 13 caps in the last four years.
Manager Brian Kerr has always been a fan and included Reid regularly in the early part of his reign before a sustained run of injuries and subsequent loss of form saw him drop down the pecking order for Ireland.
Kerr said: “I’ve been to watch Steven a few times and he’s back fit and playing well in the team. Steven can speak for himself on this, but he made the jump from playing with Millwall to the Premiership when Blackburn were struggling.
“He had injuries and was never really fully fit when he came back and then the new manager came in. I think looking at where Blackburn where, it is surprising how they’ve come on and where the finished this season and since the turn of the year, Steven had done very well for them.”
Reid said: “I think this is as fit as I have been recently. I’m playing with confidence and the team is playing very well. (Blackburn manager) Mark Hughes has given me a lot of confidence.”
Even during his yearlong absence from the Ireland team, Reid never stopped believing that he could force his way back into the side although he does admit that his injuries robbed him of a good chance of staking a claim for a regular place in the side.
“Yes, I think that had I been fit, I could have maybe got a regular place in the side but when out of the squad, I just concentrated on getting in the Blackburn team and playing well. I always thought that if I did that, there was a chance.”
Republic of Ireland midfielder Steven Reid returned to the Ireland squad for the first time in over a year for the upcoming clashes with Celtic, Israel and the Faroe Islands and admitted that he hopes is injury problems are behind him.
Since bursting onto the Ireland scene in the run up to the 2002 World Cup finals and earning a late call-up to the squad following an injury to Mark Kennedy, Reid’s career has been interrupted by injury meaning that he has collected just 13 caps in the last four years.
Manager Brian Kerr has always been a fan and included Reid regularly in the early part of his reign before a sustained run of injuries and subsequent loss of form saw him drop down the pecking order for Ireland.
Kerr said: “I’ve been to watch Steven a few times and he’s back fit and playing well in the team. Steven can speak for himself on this, but he made the jump from playing with Millwall to the Premiership when Blackburn were struggling.
“He had injuries and was never really fully fit when he came back and then the new manager came in. I think looking at where Blackburn where, it is surprising how they’ve come on and where the finished this season and since the turn of the year, Steven had done very well for them.”
Reid said: “I think this is as fit as I have been recently. I’m playing with confidence and the team is playing very well. (Blackburn manager) Mark Hughes has given me a lot of confidence.”
Even during his yearlong absence from the Ireland team, Reid never stopped believing that he could force his way back into the side although he does admit that his injuries robbed him of a good chance of staking a claim for a regular place in the side.
“Yes, I think that had I been fit, I could have maybe got a regular place in the side but when out of the squad, I just concentrated on getting in the Blackburn team and playing well. I always thought that if I did that, there was a chance.”