WHY HAMMER DARREN RANDOLPH IS KEEPING THE FAITH

Randolph insists lack of playing time at West Ham won’t impact performance

AGOALKEEPER only gets the Man of the Match award if he’s been busy, which means he’s either performed heroically to earn his team something, or done his best to prevent a rout. Darren Randolph was the recipient of the match honours against Mexico in New Jersey last week where he was in the line of friendly fire.

If he didn’t make all that many saves in the MetLife Stadium, he was the only Irish player of five to complete 90 minutes with distinction, although James McClean, as captain, never once took a breather.

Randolph will probably have some time off this evening for the visit of Uruguay but will be firmly in the spotlight next Sunday for the World Cup qualifier against Austria. He has been Martin O’Neill’s first choice goalkeeper since thrust forward against Germany in the Euro 2016 qualifier and now has 20 caps on his CV.

The manager’s faith runs deep as the 30-year-old from Bray has been in and out of the West Ham first team since his elevation as Ireland No 1, in succession to Shay Given.

However, under Slaven Bilic, who also arrived at the London club in the summer of 2015, Randolph has not enjoyed such unswerving loyalty. In the course of his two seasons at the London club, he has played 40 first team games for the Hammers as he jostles for the gloves with Adrian.

From an international perspective, it’s not ideal but Randolph is a cool customer who doesn’t see nonselection as an issue.

‘It’s not a problem for me personally because you are still training. You still get the goalkeeper’s fitness from the training. ‘I think it’s different from an outfield player who might need the fitness that you get from a match.

‘As a keeper, if you are training and training well then you will still feel sharp, as I did the other night. I did not feel any different than from when I was playing so that is reassuring.’

If Randolph remains as second fiddle to Adrian in the early stages of next season, which coincides with four World Cup qualifiers in September and October, he won’t be worried about his sharpness.

‘I had a similar situation last year when I was not in the team whereas I was playing cup matches every few weeks, I still performed well. I’ve been there and done that before and performed. So for me, it’s not an issue,’ he said.

A cool customer, he sees nothing strange at the way the gloves are passed to and fro at West Ham — most clubs have a first choice ‘keeper who plays every week.

‘The place is up for the grabs between the two of us. Obviously, Adrian started the season, then I played in the middle and then he finished off,’ he said.

When Randolph was dropped in April, he confirmed there was ‘a conversation’ between himself and Hammers boss Bilic.

‘I didn’t agree (with the decision) but there’s not much you can do. You take it and you move forward. That’s football,’ he said.

After the Premier League season ended on May 21, there was no time for a further heart to heart with Bilic. ‘Once we finished, I was gone and I was thinking about this trip,’ said Randolph who is under contract at the club until 2020.

For his first game in six weeks, against Mexico, he was kept on his toes. ‘Yeah, it was a busy evening but it was a good experience.’

It was the first time he had played behind three central defenders for Ireland.

‘It’s a different system, although I’m sure some of the boys have played it before. When you have games like these it’s important to try these things out so the boys can get experience of doing it.’

He felt he needed the game. ‘Yeah, the manager spoke to me about playing after not playing in about a month so it was good to get the game under my belt.

‘Mentally it’s good because you know where you are. It puts some of the demons to bed.’

He also admits that he hasn’t felt a need to talk to O’Neill about his club situation.

‘That’s not even a conversation that has been had. I’ve come away, I train, and like everybody else if I am picked to play then I’ll play.’

With Kieren Westwood and Colin Doyle both available, Ireland are in a strong position with goalkeepers, unlike opponents Austria.

Robert Almer, their No 1, is ruled out with knee injury, while his understudy Ramazan Ozcan has been dropped.

Of the three shot-stoppers named by Austria manager Marcel Koller for Sunday’s game, two are uncapped while Heinz Lindner, who has 10 caps and is likely to play, made just two appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt this season. FIRST IN LINE: Darren Randolph (right)

‘IF YOU ARE TRAINING WELL THEN YOU’LL STILL FEEL SHARP’