GREEN SHOOTS

Kilbane is upbeat despite lack of Irish starters in Premier League

- BY GARRY DOYLE

JUST five Irish players started the opening round of Premier League fixtures last weekend.

That's the sort of info which, once upon a time, would have driven Enid Blyton to write a new children's book: five go on an impossible mission.

Yet Kevin Kilbane doesn't see it that way.

Having soldiered away in an Ireland shirt for 14 years and 110 caps, Kilbane knows a thing or two about adjusting to international football from England's second tier.

Initially he found it hard playing Championship football with West Brom and then lining out against technically better and tactically different teams.

But today’s Championship — where the bulk of Irish players now ply their trade — is a completely different League in terms of style compared to then.

Kilbane said: “While it is hard to see so few Irish players get their chance in the Premier League, every Irish fan has accepted we are not going to be like the glory days anymore, in that we are not going to have 15 to 20 starters per week.

And I can't see the number of Irish starters changing any time soon.