Republic of Ireland striker fired up for France test given Championship form

Preston North End striker Will Keane is ‘buzzing’ for the challenge of facing France and the Netherlands over the international break.

North End’s number seven is heading away with the Republic of Ireland, for whom he has made four appearances. Keane - PNE’s and joint-Championship top scorer this season - stands every chance of featuring for Stephen Kenny’s men. Brighton star Evan Ferguson has withdrawn from the squad, meaning Keane has Aaron Connolly of Hull and Norwich’s Adam Idah as striking competition.

Keane took his league tally for the campaign to four last weekend, with a brace away to Stoke City as North End ran out 0-2 winners. He is feeling good about his football and looking forward to locking horns with two international heavyweights. It’s France away on Thursday evening, before Ireland take on the Netherlands at home on Sunday.

“Yeah, buzzing!” said Keane. “Obviously, they are great games on paper, so I am really looking forward to it. Hopefully I can make my mark if I get a chance. I’m really excited; it is two massive games to relish. They will obviously be difficult, but we’ll go there full of confidence.”

The versatile striker’s early goal scoring has been priceless at club level, with Keane benefitting from PNE manager Ryan Lowe’s advice last time out at Stoke. Ireland are getting a player full of confidence, given his own form as well as the team’s - as North End sit top of the league five games in.

“I’d spoken to the gaffer in the week about not always being so eager to get involved when playing as the lone striker,” he said. “If I can just keep stretching the line and we can get the number 10s involved, with wing-backs up the pitch, then chances are going to come. So yeah, I just kept patient.

“It was encouraging to get the snapshot at the start of the second half and I hoped, from there, we could push on that little bit - like we did at Bristol City in the first game of the season. There were definitely signs of that again and at two-nil, you just protect your lead and don’t commit as many bodies forward. It was just great that I got to take the chances when they came around.”