YOUNG Irish striker Cillian Sheridan wants to start next week's Champions League fixture against Manchester United after scoring on his full debut for Celtic in Saturday's 4-2 over Hibs at Parkhead. Sheridan figured as a sub at Old Trafford last week but partnered Scott McDonald against Hibs when he was on the scoresheet along with Stephen McManus, Glenn Loovens and Scott Brown.

"The challenge is to start against Manchester United now," said Sheridan after his first start in the Scottish League. "That's what you are at this club to do, to play every week so hopefully I can get more chances.

"Coming on against Manchester United last week and playing against the likes of Vidic gave me a lot of confidence for the Hibs game.

"It is easier starting games because you get your second wind. I've had a few injuries in the last year or so and it was my first 90 minutes in four months so that was another good thing as well.

"I've had to work very hard on my fitness and it's beginning to show."

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan was happy with Sheridan's display and said, "I like the fact that he is tall and he is the only tall striker that we've got!

"It's maybe a wee bit early for him because I don't know if he had played 10 reserve games for the full 90 minutes and he has been here for a year and a half now.

"We needed to build him up because he was raw and he still needs a bit of work but he gave us what we needed, power and a threat behind their defense."

Celtic's hopes of a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League are slim after their Old Trafford defeat, but Irish winger Aiden McGeady is targeting a UEFA Cup spot.

McGeady said, "The last 16 was always going to be tough with Villarreal and Manchester United in the group.

"The expectation levels have increased and there is the goal to get through but it is going to be very, very tough and the UEFA Cup would be decent.

"Obviously we are disappointed to get beaten 3-0 but to be fair they played really well. The result was a fair reflection because they gave us a bit of a doing, to be honest with you."

Meanwhile, linesman Alex Verstraeten has admitted he made mistakes in Celtic's 3-0 Champions League defeat at Manchester United when the opening two goals from Dimitar Berbatov appeared to be offside.

"This is the first time we have made a mistake in 52 international matches," Verstraeten told the Daily Record.

Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc has escaped with a 500 fine and a severe reprimand over gestures he made to Rangers fans during the last Old Firm derby.

Yokohama Marinos have admitted they will attempt to sign Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura in January.

And Celtic look set to be without Georgios Samaras until the end of November as the striker recovers from a cartilage operation.

O'Brien's Threat

BOLTON defender Joey O'Brien has threatened to do a Stephen Ireland on it and withdraw from the Ireland squad after his failure to play any football under Giovanni Trapattoni.

"When you look at the team that played Cyprus, it showed me how far down the list I was in the dressingroom," O'Brien told the Sunday Mirror.

"Look at the right-back or center midfield positions where I play. We were missing the first and second choice right-backs in Steve Finnan and Stephen Kelly and there was even a lad on the bench ahead of me.

"In the middle I must be about fifth choice. I am looking at the manager and I don't know if he comes to watch the games I play or what. You don't know how far you are down the list and that makes it hard.

"I love playing for my country, love meeting up and I've great friends, but I don't like walking around in a tracksuit saying, 'I play for Ireland.'

"I'm like a fan in a tracksuit. I'm gutted about the whole thing. The manager is the manager and he's a great boss, but I'm not in his plans.

"I'm used to playing in the Premiership and UEFA Cup, so to go over and play and train under a management where they don't seem to know your name ... I'm going to have to look at the situation.

"It's a bit away from walking out completely, but I'm not going to keep going if I'm sitting in the stand. It's a problem at Bolton too. When I report back on Thursday having missed a whole week's training the lads in my position are training day in, day out."

Soccer Shorts

STEPHANIE Curtis scored a 63rd minute equalizer as Ireland's ladies team drew 1-1 with Iceland in their UEFA Championship playoff first leg at Richmond Park on Sunday. The second leg takes place in Reykjavik on Thursday night . . .

IRELAND assistant coach Marco Tardelli is to make a guest appearance in a testimonial game for former Longford Town and Drogheda United player Sean Prunty, forced to retire with a heart condition, at Flancare Park in November . . .

IRISH under-23 manager Pat Fenlon has hit out at the failure of Giovanni Trapattoni or any of his backroom team to attend last week's 1-0 defeat to Belgium at Dalymount Park . . .

DERRY City will meet Bohemians in the 2008 FAI Ford Cup final after Derry won at Galway and Bohs beat St Pat's in the weekend's semifinals . . .

BRAY Wanderers are the latest eircom League club to admit financial difficulties and have slashed wages until the end of the season . . .

TONY Cousins has been appointed as caretaker boss at Kildare County after the club parted company with John Ryan last weekend . . .

JOE Kinnear has signed a second short-term contract to remain on as caretaker boss at Newcastle United . . .

CAPTAIN Peter Hutton has signed a new one-year contract with FAI Cup finalists Derry City . . .

FORMER Irish defender Ian Harte has gone on trial with Norwegian side Valerenga . . .

IPSWICH Town are interested in Celtic's Irish defender Darren O'Dea.

Captain Dricco

BRIAN O'Driscoll will carry on as Irish captain after Declan Kidney named a provisional squad for the autumn internationals against Canada, New Zealand and Argentina.

Kidney said, "I am delighted that Brian has agreed to captain the squad for the Guinness Series 2008.

"I have also opted to name a bigger squad than originally anticipated so that we can continue to familiarize a largely new-look backroom staff with a wider group of players.

"Our games assume additional importance this year considering their significance as regards our seeding position going into the World Cup 2011 draw being made in December.

"We are currently ranked eighth - just ahead of Scotland - so the fact that it is paramount to at least maintain a top eight ranking underlines the additional importance of our results against Canada, New Zealand and Argentina."

The Ireland squad is - Backs: Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Ian Dowling (Munster), Girvan Dempsey (Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Connacht), Keith Earls (Munster), Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster), Shane Horgan (Leinster), Robert Kearney (Leinster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Barry Murphy (Munster), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster) Captain, Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Tomas O'Leary (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Wasps), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Peter Stringer (Munster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster).

Forwards: Rory Best (Ulster), Tony Buckley (Munster), Ryan Caldwell (Ulster), Bob Casey (London Irish), Tom Court (Ulster), Stephen Ferris (Ulster), Jerry Flannery (Munster), John Hayes (Munster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), Marcus Horan (Munster), Bernard Jackman (Leinster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), Denis Leamy (Munster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster), Paul O'Connell (Munster), Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster), Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), Alan Quinlan (Munster), Michael Ross (Harlequins), Donncha Ryan (Munster), David Wallace (Munster), Roger Wilson (Northampton).

Sports Shorts

ATHLETICS: Ukrainian Andriy Naumov won the Adidas Dublin Marathon in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes and 6 seconds on Monday, with Michael O'Connor the first Irish man to finish. Victory in the women's race went to Russian Larrisa Zousko, and the wheelchair race was won by Armagh's Paul Hannan . . .

RUGBY LEAGUE: Ireland came desperately close to victory against a fancied Tonga before finally losing by just 22-20 in their opening Rugby League World Cup game on Monday despite a hat-trick of tries from winger Damien Blanch . . .

RUGBY: Ulster are off the bottom of the Magners League table after a 22-6 win over a depleted Munster at Ravenhill. Leinster lost 15-12 in Glasgow while Connacht went down 14-27 at home to Edinburgh . . .

BOXING: Promoter Brian Peters has confirmed that Bernard Dunne will meet tough Mexican Eduardo Bambino Garcia in Castlebar on November 15 as he looks to a world title fight next year . . .

RACING: Aidan O'Brien scored his 22nd Group One win of the season when three-time Ascot Gold Cup hero Yeats won the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp on Sunday . . .

GOLF: Des Smyth has announced his retirement from a full time commitment to the Champions Tour in America and will now concentrate on Europe's Seniors Tour . . .

SNOOKER: Ken Doherty lost 6-4 to Ding Junhai of China at the World Series of Snooker in Warsaw on Sunday.