Saturday 6 June 2015 09:21, UK
Roy Keane says Ireland’s clash with England on Sunday will be the ‘perfect preparation’ for the more important task of facing Scotland next weekend.
For the first time in 20 years, England travel to Dublin to face the Republic in a friendly international.
The last time they met in the Irish capital was February 1995 when unruly travelling fans caused the match to be abandoned during the first half at Lansdowne Road.
Sunday lunchtime’s fixture is being staged at the Aviva Stadium, which was built to replace the old Lansdowne Road.
And Ireland’s assistant manager Keane says the England game will help them get ready for the more important Euro qualifier against Scotland at the same stadium.
He said: "It's just a good game for us to look forward to. If you are a footballing person, it's a good game for the players, the preparation obviously for the Scotland game, England obviously have a lot of good players, so have we.
"I wouldn't be one for looking too far back. Again, it's all about looking forward to the games coming up. The priority is trying to get the team right, get a good edge to us for Sunday.
I'm sure it will be a decent atmosphere in preparation for what is our priority: Trying to get a result against Scotland
"I'm pretty sure it will be a decent atmosphere in preparation for what is our priority, trying to get a result against Scotland. But you can tell everyone is looking forward to it, all the players. We can't wait.
"You'd have to ask the players, but if you're asking me what the players' mindset is, yes, they will want to play against England and they will want to beat them.
"There will be lads who know each other at club level, and England have got some very good players, so I don't think we could have picked a better game the week before we play Scotland. I think it's the ideal preparation.
"There will be a good edge to it, no doubt there will be a good tempo and hopefully a good pace to it, and it will be a big, big test for our players.
"But in terms of what happened 20 years ago, you have just got to try to look forward, look forward to the game coming up. England, we obviously want to turn them over."
