Sheridan tipped for Republic selection

Bailieborough"s rising soccer star Cillian Sheridan is ready to step up to the full Republic of Ireland squad, according to his Celtic teammate Scott McDonald, who he has partnered up front for the Glasgow giants in recent weeks. 'He"s got everything - he"s tall, he can run, he has skill and he can finish,' said McDonald. 'As far as playing for Ireland, if he"s good enough, he"s old enough. We don"t want to bend him out of shape too early, but I don"t think it did Wayne Rooney any harm. Cillian will compete for first team football now because once you have had a taste, you don"t want to let it go.' 19-year-old Sheridan has seized his opportunity having burst on to the first team at Parkhead following injuries to the forwards ahead of him in the pecking order - Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Giorgios Samaras and Chris Killen - and he has struck three goals in his six appearances to date. Having scored twice against Kilmarnock in midweek, Sheridan held on to his starting place against Hamilton last weekend, winning a penalty in his team"s win which keeps them top of the SPL table. 'Cillian can take pride in his achievements and I have enjoyed playing with him,' stated McDonald. 'We have to be careful with him, because he"s learning the game, as we all are. I saw him when he made his debut at Inverness last season and it"s a shame that he was injured so much afterwards but he came back in the pre-season and blew everyone away - he"s a manager"s dream.'