Players happy to see Roy back

Birmingham City striker Clinton Morrison who outshone his strike partner Robbie Keane at times, put it simply, "Roy is a class act. What can you say about Roy? It is a joy to be on the same pitch as him. He is great at helping the younger players like myself because he was always talking to me telling me what I should be doing," he said.

Miller, who enjoyed a fruitful role down Ireland's right flank, added, "I think he had a good game and adds something to the side when he plays." Goalkeeper Shay Given also admitted that Keane "added something to the team", although the Newcastle netminder was mindful of the added attention his return brought on the squad. "I’m glad it’s out of the way because there obviously was a lot of attention surrounding it. It’s water under the bridge now and we can concentrate on the games coming up," said the Donegal man.

Former Celtic midfielder Miller is one player definite to miss Ireland's final two games of the summer against Jamaica (Wednesday June 2) and Holland (Saturday June 5), as he is due to undergo a groin operation on Tuesday.

"It’s always great to play for your country. I thought they kept possession well but on balance I think we deserved the victory," he said. "I’ll go to see a specialist on Monday and hopefully have the operation on Tuesday. I’ll be there on Saturday (against Nigeria) and will hopefully be involved."