Rory storms his way into Kerr's central thinking

Scotland v Republic of Ireland – New Irish manager sends out positive message as his rival restores some lost faith

One of Brian Kerr's warm-up techniques when he was coaching the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad was to get the players to pretend they had guns and try to dodge the imaginary bullets. As he takes charge of the seniors for the first time today he will probably think that enough blood, real or pretend, has been spilled already.

The insight into Kerr's often-unorthodox training methods – "he can be a bit unusual" – is offered by Rory Delap, the Southampton midfielder, who is part of the new manager's first squad, having shaken off the calf injury that threatened his inclusion.

After training at St Mary's stadium on Friday, the first message Delap picks up on his mobile phone is a text from Kerr checking he is OK. Somehow it is difficult to believe Jack Charlton would have used such a form of communication even if it had been available to him when he was Ireland's manager.

Delap is relieved to be in the new man's thoughts. "You never know when a new manager comes to a club or a national side whether he is going to pick you or play you, so it was nice to get the call from Brian," says the 26-year-old.

Kerr has wisely chosen a large squad of 26 players for Wednesday's game against Scotland but Delap – whom he has known since those Under-21 days – was always in his plans. The player is enjoying his most consistent season, and it is no coincidence that it comes as he is receiving an extended run in his favoured position – central midfield.

At times Delap has profited but also paid for his versatility. At Derby County, the club he left to join Southampton as their record signing at £4 million in July 2001, he was forced, through circumstance, to turn out in a number of positions.

"Jim Smith said he wanted me to play right wing-back and stay there. But with injuries and other things, that did not work out, and I had to play centre-half, left midfield, centre midfield and up front.

"It was enjoyable in some ways, as you felt the pressure was off a little when you did not play in your so-called position. But for my career I had to nail a position down."

Now he has achieved that, alongside Matthew Oakley (another international hopeful), in one of the Premiership's most dynamic partnerships. Both, it seems, are blessed with an extra lung, although Delap puts it down to some fierce pre- season training. "We are fitter this season," he says. "It gives you a great advantage to know you are stronger than the opposition."

Interestingly, Southampton's manager, Gordon Strachan, resisted the temptation to move Delap to left-back when Wayne Bridge picked up an injury recently.

Forcing his way into the centre of the Irish midfield will be a challenge – "it is probably the strongest area of the team" – and then, of course, there is the distinct possibility of a certain Roy Keane returning.

Delap, whose international career started four years ago but has so far only garnered eight caps, missed out on last year's World Cup but watched the events like everyone else. However, he is unequivocal about whether or not Keane should come back. "Yes. I would rather we played the best team than not," he says. "I don't know what the circumstances were but he is one of the best players in the world and we can't afford to be without him."

Missing out on the World Cup was a huge disappointment for the player who was born in Sutton Coldfield of Irish parents. "But I knew deep down that I was not going. I was 80 per cent sure of that. When the phone call came I had already resigned myself to it.

"But I would also have been disappointed if I had gone in place of someone who had played in all the qualifiers."

Despite the poor start to the Euro 2004 campaign and the continued fall-out over Keane, Delap was surprised to see Mick McCarthy go but feels Ireland are still capable of qualifying.

"It is going to be difficult, but we are good enough to win every game we have left, which is probably what we are going to have to do. I don't see any reason why we cannot do it," he says.

Neither does he feel that Kerr will have any trouble gaining the respect of the senior players. "He has always been around, and came on the last half-dozen senior squad trips with us. I was surprised his name was not mentioned when Mick left.

"Brian is a bit different and it has obviously worked with the young lads, and I cannot see why it should not work now with the senior boys."

Whether or not that involves the Irish in fun and games of a different sort to last summer will be obvious soon enough.