Keane is adamant that Miller and fellow Black Cat David Connolly, who both scored in Sunderland's vital Championship win over Derby County yesterday, along with Daryl Murphy, should be in the party for the historic Croke Park games against Wales and Slovakia on March 24 and 28.

Sunderland's Anthony Stokes made his Ireland debut as a substitute against San Marino. But Corkman Keane declared, "I think Liam, David and Daryl should all have been in the last squad. I don't know what their prospects are.

Keane, who previously clashed with Staunton during the Saipan incident, said, "I know Steve Staunton was at our game at Birmingham the other night. I think Stokesy did all right there, and obviously Liam did well the previous week.

"I'm not worried that it would disrupt things here if they were called up. If they're called up, it means they're doing well. I wouldn't begrudge them. I think a lot of our lads deserve it and I think they would do well for Ireland. When you look at the players who are getting in ahead of the likes of Liam Miller, I scratch my head.

"Maybe they leave him out because he's from Cork. I wouldn't rule anything out with the FAI. I had an Irish trial and I should have been selected, but I was told I was too small. That was the start of my troubles with the FAI, I suppose. I was 15 and they told me after the game I was too small. So I said, 'Why the bloody hell did I get a trial, then? You knew I was five foot two. Why give me a trial if I was never going to be picked?

Maybe that's why Liam isn't getting picked. I think Liam is five foot two.'' Keane suspects Connolly's omission stems from a fallout with Irish Under-21 boss Don Givens. He added, "David Connolly is getting goals and that's what he's judged on.

But it's not just that, it's his whole game and his fitness levels. He's been different class.

"I don't know whether David is different . . . I don't know whether he had a fallout with the FAI years ago under the caretaker manager, Mr Givens. I don't know whether there's a knock-on effect. You look at David and he's one of the form strikers in the Championship. He's still playing catch-up because of the games he missed through injuries. I still think, come the end of the season, he'll be there or thereabouts with the top goalscorers."