A mostly inexperienced Ireland squad will head to the US to play Mexico in New Jersey next week. Not among the squad will be the League of Ireland's top scorer Seanie Maguire.
Ireland's bereftness of options up front has led to plenty of calls for the Cork City striker to be given an opportunity by Martin O'Neill.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Roy Keane, quoted by the Irish Sun, said the Ireland staff have taken a look at 23-year-old.
We have looked at Seán, we’ve seen him live on a few occasions and he’s doing well and he has to keep doing well.
There is talk of him maybe getting a move and if that happens we’ll probably get more opportunities to see him.
There are just a few players ahead of him at this moment but that’s all pretty normal.
I know we have Shane Long injured but there are lads ahead of him, Jon Walters, James McClean can play through the middle, Daryl Murphy has never let us down.
The possible move which Keane mentions is to Preston, a route well-trodden by League of Ireland players in recent times. Alan Browne, Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan, all of whom played League of Ireland, are currently on the books at the club.
Another former League of Ireland player who broke into Martin O'Neill's squad for the upcoming games is Kevin Long. The defender started three games for Burnley towards the end of the Premier League season. The former Cork City player has had to really bide his time both for club and country.
Keane said he does not expect Maguire's wait for international honours to be as lengthy as Long's
He has to keep doing the business, keep putting the ball in the back of the net and keep knocking on the door.
We see Kevin Long coming into the squad at 26, 27, I’m not saying Maguire will have to wait that long but sometimes you have to be patient in this game.
