Keiren Westwood G Crewe Alexandra b.1984

**Jicked** · 17/05/2008, 2:46 PM

Very dissapointed with this. There are better keepers in the eircom League, and those keepers are Irish.

**greendeiseboy** · 17/05/2008, 2:48 PM

i'm sure this wont please everyone but he looked good even if it "was against the greatest team the world has ever seen!!" but our squad is limited and we need as many players as we can get......give him a chance

**Jicked** · 17/05/2008, 3:07 PM

I'd rather have given either Barry or Brian Murphy a chance ahead of him.

**tricky_colour** · 17/05/2008, 3:12 PM

Looks like he is Irish now

**rambler14** · 17/05/2008, 4:19 PM

He's in on Alan Kelly's recommendation so obviously he feels he's better than Eircom League goalkeepers.
Which he possibly is because I personally feel that Brian Murphy at Bohs is top class and is doing himself no favours by not going back to England.

**Wangball** · 17/05/2008, 4:44 PM

Originally Posted by Jicked

Very dissapointed with this. There are better keepers in the eircom League, and those keepers are Irish.

And Westwood is Irish, if he wasn't he'd not be in the squad....I think its a little odd that Kenny was overlooked though, if either of the Murphy's were good enough they would of been called up a long time ago, they're hardly newcomers to the scene

**stiofain** · 17/05/2008, 5:13 PM

Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er

“Playing for the Republic is something I’d definitely consider,” Westwood, who has been named in this season’s Professional Footballers’ Association League One team of the year, said. “I’m not Irish as such, but I’m a Catholic boy and it’s in my blood through my dad’s mum. I’m only a League One goalkeeper and it would help my chances by moving up to the Championship.”

What a ****ing idiot, so he feels he has a right to represent my country because he's made his holy communion? Very disappointed by the lads attitude already, shows exactly how much respect he has for Ireland with that stupid comment.

**micls** · 17/05/2008, 5:22 PM

Originally Posted by Wangball

And Westwood is Irish, if he wasn't he'd not be in the squad....I think its a little odd that Kenny was overlooked though, if either of the Murphy's were good enough they would of been called up a long time ago, they're hardly newcomers to the scene

Neither is this fella. Same age as Barry Murphy isnt he? Or do you mean he's new to being Irish?

**shakermaker1982** · 17/05/2008, 6:01 PM

Hmmm not sure what to make of this. If he kept his mouth shut I'd have been delighted to see a promising keeper join the ranks, but his comments would seem to indicate it's a 'career' move.

**Jicked** · 17/05/2008, 6:27 PM

Originally Posted by Wangball

And Westwood is Irish, if he wasn't he'd not be in the squad....I think its a little odd that Kenny was overlooked though, if either of the Murphy's were good enough they would of been called up a long time ago, they're hardly newcomers to the scene

Well considering Westwood doesn't even pretend to consider himself Irish, its fair to say he's not Irish, even if he has done his Confirmation. And I'm not sure about Brian Murphy, but Barry Murphy (the Rovers' one) is only 22 so I don't see how you can say he's not a newcomer ffs

**the ox** · 17/05/2008, 6:52 PM

I'm not sure we really need to call up League One goalkeepers who admit they're not really Irish.

His wikipedia entry made me chuckle

Kieren Westwood (born October 23, 1984 in Manchester) is an English-born football player who is "not Irish as such" but "is a good Catholic boy". He plays in goal for Carlisle United and is the number one choice goalkeeper.

**FarBeag** · 17/05/2008, 7:10 PM

Don’t worry, he will grow into it. Look at Morrison, Carsley, Lawrenson, Townsend, MacAteer etc etc. They all became fully fledged Irishmen after hanging around with real Irishmen and playing a few games wearing a green jersey. Give him a chance.

**Greenforever** · 17/05/2008, 8:23 PM

Give him a chance, we don't know it what context he said these words. we'll know very soon what his attitude is like.

**boovidge** · 17/05/2008, 9:46 PM

I can understand why he said "im not irish as such". People in the UK are actively discouraged from celebrating other cultures/nationalities they may belong to. "Plastic Paddies" get a fair amount of stick. However, I think the age he's declared shows where his loyalties lie on the football pitch.

**boovidge** · 17/05/2008, 9:48 PM

Originally Posted by FarBeag

Don’t worry, he will grow into it. Look at Morrison, Carsley, Lawrenson, Townsend, MacAteer etc etc. They all became fully fledged Irishmen after hanging around with real Irishmen and playing a few games wearing a green jersey. Give him a chance.

I wouldnt lump Carsley in with those lot. He was brought up aware of his irishness rather than the others who realised they were irish. Did i read on hear that he played hurling with his cousins when he was younger or was that a wind up?

**joema** · 17/05/2008, 11:23 PM

Unfair to lump Lawrensen in with the likes of Clinton as well. Could easily have played for England but chose us - not that you'd know it from his television punditry admittedly

Think the wikipedia page sums it up for me btw

**Irish_Praha** · 18/05/2008, 9:02 AM

At least Nicky Colgan wasn't called up again, that has to be a positive thing.

**Drumcondra 69er** · 18/05/2008, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Jicked

Very dissapointed with this. There are better keepers in the eircom League, and those keepers are Irish.

And you know this how exactly? You watched much of Carlisle this season? Bar Murphy at Bohs there's no one in the EL I'd put near the international squad and I watch a lot of EL football. Forde looked class for Derry and didn't get a look in for Cardiff, that says something.

Some people are being ridiculously precious about a quote. Boovidge has it spot on, the way I read what he says is that he was just pre empting the obvious resposne that 2G and 3G people get in the UK and that he just meant he wasn't born in Ireland. In fairness there's even a small element of the Ireland support that shamefully give 2G fans with English accents stick over being 'plastics'. The likes of Andy Townsend have openly admitted finding a bar in Spain to watch the Euro 88 game between us and England, cheering England on and being gutted when we beat them. As for Lawrenson he was playing for Brighton when he got called up and was miles away from an England call up, he's said himself it just came down to being asked first. They still rightly got our full support when they played for us.

Looks at the Carlisle boards, loads of their fans are reckoning he's made a mistake, that he'll be snapped up and playing at a much higher level soon and could easilly make the England squad, if the likes of Paul Robinson and Scott Carson are the best they have to offer then it's a fair point. He's shown where his loyalties lie very early in a keepers career and fair play to him, get over it people.

And Boovidge, I think it was Kilbane that used to play Hurling as did Mick McCarthy. Carsley certainly was reared in and around the Irish clubs in the midlands though and would have been immersed in Irish culture all his life.