( By Aidan Fitzmaurice, Evening Herald 17 November 2004 )

Tommy Coyne, Bernie Slaven and David Kelly, they all have one thing in common, apart from the obvious of being Irish strikers.

They all scored on their international debuts, were built up as Ireland's saviours - and were rarely heard of again, certainly in games when it mattered.

So it's probably a good thing that Stephen Elliott didn't get a goal against Croatia in his first game for Ireland's senior team last night. " Too Much Too Young" has been the theme song for too many Ireland forwards in the past for us to be disappointed again, so it's to Elliott's benefit that he will be able to relax today and know that he's not carrying the weight of a nation on his young shoulders.

We have Robbie Keane for that, thankfully. Goals may be hard to come by when he plays for Tottenham this season - nine goals scored were scored in his last game for the London club but none from the boot or head of Keane - but with Ireland he's in a rich vein of form, now with 124 goals in his 57 games for Ireland, and four in the last six outings.

But Elliott, still just 20 and only in his first season of real first-team football, showed more than a few glimpses of talent last night.

He didn't set Landsdowne Road alight, but he was playing in an alien 4-4-3 formation, he was up against defenders who know top-level football and the Champions League inside out - Croatia's centre-halves were Igor Tudor of Juventus and Robert Kovac of Bayern Munich while right-back Stjepan Tomas lines out for Galatasaray. No mugs there.

And yet the man from Portland Row, in Dublin's inner city, looked as if he has many of the traits needed at this level, especially his clever ball over the top of the defence which caught out the wily Tudor and fell nicely for Robbie Keane to shoot tamely at 'keeper Tomislav Butina.

"I think Stephen did well, it was probably strange for him being out on the right wing but he showed with his control and touch that he is a threat", said Richard Dunne, who overcame some early nerves to put in a solid display. "If he can get a few more games like that I think he will be an option for Brian very soon. He will always score goals, will Stephen.

" I know Stephen well from the time he was with Manchester City with me, I remember marking him in training matches and he was always a threat." Stephen wouldn't really hit a shot from 30 yards out but you knew that if anything came back off the 'keeper he was there to tap it in. We were all surprised when he was let go by City".

Elliott used to torment Dunne in training matches, now it's the turn of Gary Breen to try and keep him in check during those practice games and hope that the same player destroys the opposition's defence at the weekend.

And Breen, who like Dunne started an international match for the first time in a year last night, is a fan , though he urges caution in the rush to anoint him "Saint Stephen".

"It was hard for Stephen Elliott, he has so much potential but he's by no means the finished article. It was an alien position for him last night, being out wide, his whole game is about being in the box, he's a poacher," said Breen after winning his 62nd cap.

"But he did well. He has the right attitude, he's hungry to do well. He got an opportunity with Sunderland, took it with both hand and he ended up in the Ireland squad. Now that he's had a taste of it, I'm sure he will be working even harder to stay in it. It's up to Stephen how far he goes".

"He has attributes that we're not exactly blessed with in this squad. We don't have too many goal-scorers. He has an opportunity, it's up to him to take it."

Elliott has taken slow steps along the way in his career. Never a truly prolific goal-scorer with the Irish youth teams ( he averaged a goal every 2.7 games ), he hit some form with the21's ( averaged a goal per 1.6 games ) and now he has stepped up to the seniors earlier than expected.

"I was delighted just to run out there, since I was a young lad it's something that I dreamed about so to actually do it was amazing. I was shocked when Brian told me yesterday morning that I was starting but it was good nerves", Elliott said.

"You look across the pitch, you see what the likes of Damien and Robbie do on the ball and it's amazing. Its brilliant just to be alongside them and hopefully I'll get a chance to do it a bit more".

"I have played in that formation before with the Irish Youth teams but only a few times and I wasn't all that used to it. I was just happy to be starting in the game and it was a bit better when we went 4-4-2 in the second half".

"I might get another chance if I keep doing well with Sunderland. It' all a learning process for me, last year I was a reserve team player with Manchester City, then I became a first-team regular with Sunderland and now I've got into the senior international squad. It's been a huge turn-around for me and I hope it continues".

"I want to keep scoring goals for Sunderland, try and get them promoted and if the rewards with the international team come, then that's great".

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