Alan Kelly and Joe Murphy have a serious battle ahead this season. They have lost out on the No.1 jersies at Blackburn and Tranmere Rovers respectively and they will have their work cut out to get them back.

While Murphy is just a youngster and can bounce back from this setback, it is terrible news for Alan Kelly - especially since he has just established himself as Irish first choice ahead of Shay Given and Dean Kiely. Given and Kiely are both No.1 at their respective clubs - which in the long term could push Alan back in the pecking order on the International stage.

John Filan has taken the No.1 at Blackburn and manager Graeme Souness has confirmed that his first-choice players have been handed the first-team numbers. Australian Filan is a fine goalkeeper and if he starts the season on form Kelly could end up with welts on his arse for the year.

As for Joe Murphy, his form dipped at the end of last season and he was replaced in the Tranmere goal by Dutchman John Achterberg. Achterberg ended the campaign on a high and that prompted manager John Aldridge to hand him the No.1 shirt this season - but the former Irish international has left the door open for Murphy by saying that whoever performs the best in pre-season will get the nod for the start of the season.

Joe is up for the battle. He said: "I wasn't happy with my form towards the end of last season and I know I've got to put in a lot of hard work now."

Aldridge added: "Joe needs to get back to where he was in the middle of last season and build from there."