Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Alan Kelly came through training yesterday with the Irish team and is now definite to start against Portugal on Saturday night in Portugal.

The 32-year-old shot-stopper was the only doubt for Mick McCarthy's team after sitting out his club's last three games - but he had no reaction to his thigh injury yesterday during training at the AUL Complex near Dublin airport.

The Irish team look a more confident outfit since the wonderful result against Holland in Amsterdam. They are all talking the talk at the moment and feel that they could well earn another great result.

"As a nation we tend to always talk about the other side. That was done before the Holland match," said Kelly.

"But you must not overlook what we've got in our own side and in Roy and Robbie Keane we can boast world-class players.

"Throw in Niall Quinn's displays at Sunderland and the other lads' performances at club level and we get a good picture."

Kelly is still slightly underestimating the Irish squad. When he is talking about world-class players he forg0t to mention the three goalkeepers, of whom he is one.

Kelly, Kiely and the absent Given are without doubt three of the finest goalkeepers plying their trade in the world. Any country would pick any of them and Ireland are lucky to have all three.