Killen Signs New Celtic Deal

Irish Voice Sport

Killen Signs New Celtic Deal

June 8, 2007

By Cathal Dervan

CELTIC have signed striker Chris Killen from Hibernian, but midfielder Jiri Jarosik has admitted he wants to leave Parkhead with fellow schemer Thomas Gravesen linked with Roy Keane’s Sunderland. New Zealander Killen turned down a move to Cardiff at the 11th hour to sign for Celtic and said, “I can understand Cardiff’s frustration because we were close to doing a deal, but you’ve got to look after number one in this game.

“I was close to signing for Cardiff but, as I found out when I hurt myself badly at Aberdeen in January, you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth in football. I’m not here to be a squad player, I have come to play. There is going to be competition but that’s not a problem for me.

“I’m going to work hard and do everything that I can to get that starting jersey. Initially I signed at Hibs on an 18-month deal and I saw it as a stepping stone to bigger and better things and Celtic are bigger and better.”

Jarosik, signed from Chelsea just last summer, was left out of the squad for the Scottish Cup final win over Dunfermline and confessed, “Coach Gordon Strachan has confirmed he wants me to stay but I told him how I feel about the situation. Celtic are a really big club and it was great to play in front of 60,000 fans.

“It was a successful season too, winning two trophies and qualifying from the group stages of the Champions League. However, I feel the Premiership offers me more than Scottish football. In my eyes, it is the best league in the world and I want to play in it again.

“In the Scottish Premier League the football is, above all, about fighting and challenging. I felt a little bit better in England on the pitch, and in my private life too. I heard my name linked with a move to Tottenham and if that was to work out it would be interesting. They are an ambitious club.

“If I move I’d like to go to either England or Russia — I still have a good name in Russia.”

Meanwhile, striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink has revealed he wants to spend the rest of his playing days at Celtic despite the arrival of new signings Scott McDonald and Chris Killen.

“Of course you don’t know what will happen, but if my family continue to be happy then I would like to end my career at Celtic,” the striker told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad after scoring 18 goals in 30 appearances in a season disrupted by injury.

“I’ve had four years at FC Twente, five years at PSV Eindhoven, and a few more seasons at Celtic gives me an excellent record. I think I’ve made a lot of my opportunities as a footballer.”

Celtic have rubbished reports that they want to sign Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler. Norwich have had a £500,000 bid for Celtic goalkeeper David Marshall turned down.

Czech Out

STEPHEN Staunton has ordered his Ireland players to make the Czech Republic’s latest European Championship set back count. Staunton was in the stands as the Czechs dropped two more Group D points in a scoreless draw against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, hours before Germany hammered San Marino at home.

Ryan Giggs was replaced in the last minute of his final international as the battling Welsh dented Czech hopes at the Millennium Stadium. Ireland are now a point behind the Czechs but with the same games played as Staunton starts the countdown to September’s European Championship resumption.

The Irish boss took time out for his UEFA A license coaching course in Lilleshall to travel to the Welsh capital and left a happy man.

“This is a good result for us but only if we make it count when get back into European action in the autumn,” Staunton told Star Sunday. “We know what we have to do when we resume competitive games away to Slovakia and the Czech Republic and the players will be clear about that.

“You can say that Wales did us a favor but only if we take advantage of it, that is what I will be saying when we get back together for the friendly against Denmark in August.

“It was a tough game and proved to me once again what a tough group this is with every team in it capable of taking points off any other side.

“The Welsh were unlucky in that they could have got a goal but the Czechs did come on strongly at the end so the draw was probably a fair result and a good result for us if we make it count for something now in the autumn.”

Soccer Shorts

THE Donegal town of Ramelton honored former Celtic star Patsy Gallacher on Monday when a plaque was unveiled in his honor at his birthplace with a statue to follow later in the year . . .

COVENTRY have offered Irish midfielder Michael Doyle a new deal and have been linked with Ipswich striker Alan Lee while Nottingham Forest are keen on Irish youth striker Leon Best . . .

IRELAND under-19 goalkeeper Stephen Henderson has agreed a one-year deal with Coca-Cola Championship newcomers Bristol City after parting company with Aston Villa . . .

DROGHEDA goalkeeper Dan Connor faces another layoff with a groin injury after battling back from a serious knee problem . . .

CHARLTON have been linked with a summer move for Cork City’s Irish international midfielder Joe Gamble . . .

UCD want to resign winger Pat Kavanagh after his return home following a brief spell with Birmingham City . . .

ASTON Villa boss Martin O’Neill is interested in Liverpool and Ireland defender Steve Finnan . . .

FORMER Derry and Shels boss Pat Fenlon has been linked with the managerial vacancy at Motherwell.

Argies Win

IRELAND’S indiscipline and lack of real depth in a shadow squad cost them again in Argentina on Saturday as they were well beaten 16-0 by their hosts in the second test in Buenos Aires, a week after the 22-20 defeat in the opening game.

Leinster winger Rob Kearney admitted afterwards, “Last week Eddie O’Sullivan told us lack of discipline cost us the defeat, and in this Test there was no doubt that our handling was poor. There were a lot of knock-ons and passes not going to hand. That was the reason for the defeat again.

“It’s frustrating because we work on handling every day of the week, and not being able to produce it in a Test series is not good enough. We have to take the blame for that ourselves.

“From an individual basis, I think I was not shocked by the occasion of my debut which is an important thing. If you can show that everything is okay it’s positive for all the team.

“Making your debut is always an important moment in anyone’s career. It’s about moving on and keeping working and trying to get that second cap.”

Hooker Frankie Sheahan agreed about Ireland’s indiscipline and said, “We have to look at ourselves. We made a lot of mistakes. We dropped a few balls and suffered from a couple of turnovers.

“Our scrummaging is getting stronger, with some good props that are coming through. It’s a good Ireland side. We generated some pressure at the scrum but the score is quite disappointing.

“A 16-0 scoreline obliges you to reflect on how the game went, but the important thing is in September and October when results are really important.”

Ireland coach O’Sullivan will now digest the lessons of Argentina before he names his World Cup squad in the autumn after Jeremy Staunton missed three penalties in Saturday’s game.

“After two weeks with two Tests I am much clearer on the squad that will go to the World Cup,” said O’Sullivan. “We are a little disappointed because we did not win one Test but the point of this tour was to select some players for the World Cup, so I knew coming here with that strategy there was a risk we would lose the tests.

“There were some players who will go to France, but I never like to name players because it is not my style, it’s something I usually don’t do. We are also wiser on Argentina now. The more we play the more we learn. We’ve played Argentina quite a lot in recent years we are wiser after every game.

“I’m wiser on Argentina and I’m wiser on my own squad too. I knew coming here would be a real test of the players both individually and as a group. They worked very hard and probably deserved to win at least one game. From my point of view, I’m wiser than I was when we left Ireland.”

Sports Shorts

ATHLETICS: U.S.-based Clare runner Marie Davenport won the Flora Women’s Marathon in Dublin on Monday, while Rosemary Ryan from Limerick was second with last year’s winner Pauline Curley back in third. Alan O’Shea from Bantry Athletic Club won the Cork marathon in a time of 2:27:36 also on Monday when the women’s race was won by Tracy Guilfoyle from Killnaboy in Clare in a time of 3:01:53.

GOLF: Padraig Harrington, now back in the world’s top 10, and Graeme McDowell will fly the flag for Ireland at next week’s U.S. Open after both Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley failed to come through qualifying in Surrey on Monday.

GOLF: Italian Costantino Rocca celebrated his first win as a senior golfer when he closed with a final round of one-under-par 71 to capture the AIB Irish Seniors Open at the PGA National in Naas on Sunday.

ATHLETICS: Ireland is one of three countries bidding to host the European Cross-Country Champion-ships in 2009 with Poland and France also in the frame.

CRICKET: Dominic Joyce has been recalled to the Ireland squad for the clash with Middlesex next week when he should face his brother Ed of England fame.

RUGBY: Trevor Brennan will discover the outcome of his appeal against a lifetime ban from rugby next week after attending a personal hearing in Dublin.

ATHLETICS: Paul Hession set a new Irish record of 10.28 for the 100m at the EAA meeting in Kalamata, Greece, last weekend.

GOLF: Kilkenny native Gary Murphy finished joint sixth at the Welsh Open on Sunday.

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