Robbie Keane has shared his striking secrets with Seani Maguire in the hope he too can become a lethal marksman for Ireland.
The Boys in Green have struggled for goals since record scorer Keane retired in 2016 and notched just four in nine games last year.
Keane - who scored a remarkable 68 times in his 146 caps - is now one of Mick McCarthy’s assistants.
Capped four times, Maguire is still waiting for his first goal but wants to put that right away to minnows Gibraltar tomorrow.
And the Preston North End marksman has revealed how Keane has spent time this week honing his predatory instincts.
Maguire said: “Robbie has given me advice the last couple of days. When that sort of player gives you advice, you need to listen.
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“He said ‘this is the opportunity to kickstart your international career’.
“It was striker to striker, how he gets his goals, what he did to get where he was. We played 11 v 11 in training and afterwards he told me what I did right, what I did wrong.
“For a player like that to be telling me, I’m going to listen. i was relishing meeting him for the first time and I feel like I can go from strength-to-strength working with him.”
Maguire added: “Hopefully now I can bring (his advice) into the games. I’m a goalscorer so I back myself to score.
“It’s tough because you’re only here for a couple of days before the games but he’s trying to get as much in as he can to help the strikers.
“But to put me on a par with Robbie would be a bit unfair because Robbie’s a world class player and goalscorer. Robbie’s far superior than I’ll ever be.”
Dogged by hamstring injuries in recent years, Maguire is fighting fit again and is raring to go here in Gibraltar.
And he’s in form too having bagged Preston’s winner against Birmingham City last weekend.
“My record for Cork City, and when for Preston, is that I score goals. If I can get one for Ireland, the rest will take care of itself. Hopefully that happens this weekend.”
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