A veteran who still has a Byrne-ing passion for game; STUART: I'M READY FOR ACTION.

Byline: MICHAEL SCULLY

STUART Byrne has told Jeff Kenna he is ready to make his St Pat's debut if needed at the Carlisle Grounds tonight (7.45pm).

Byrne, 32, joined the Saints less than a fortnight ago but hasn't kicked a ball in anger since the end of last season.

Having left Drogheda United, he took time out to establish his own company and contemplate his next move in football.

A four-time league winner, Byrne almost joined champions Bohemians in the close season but having signed for St Pat's instead, he could be forced into the action earlier than intended against Bray Wanderers.

The freak occurrence of Gary Dempsey and Mark Leech suffering broken legs during last week's victory over Dundalk leaves Kenna with a lack of options - especially with three games in a week coming up - but Byrne says he can do a job in midfield or defence if required.

"We've lost two players so we're down in numbers," he said.

"If the opportunity is there, certainly I'll take it. We'll wait and see.

"What I need now is match fitness. We have three games coming up in seven days so it will be a test for our squad. This happened before when I was at Drogheda when we picked up a lot of injuries and it's a case of getting through it." Byrne admits it was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster in the Saints dressing-room after Friday night's 1-0 win.

"It was a mixed feeling," he recalled. "We knew the lads had suffered serious injuries and everyone felt bad.

"Unfortunately these things happen in football and it's about getting back on the horse quickly for them, there's still an awful lot for them to play for this season.

"They'll get over it. Hopefully we can deal with the impact of their loss." For Byrne, it was another example of the fickleness of the game and a reminder that there's life outside it.

After a turbulent final season with Drogheda - he was briefly suspended by the club for disciplinary reasons, but the ban was subsequently rescinded - it was time to sort out his future plans.

An architectural technician by trade, he went through the process of establishing his own company after he decided not to join Bohs.

It's a particularly quiet period in the business right now given the building trade's major difficulties, but he's happy to work away in his own time at home after training.

"You can't play football forever. That's the reality. When I got that done I felt better about things because in my line of work you really have to stay in touch.

"The software used eight years ago at the graphic end of things, for example, is nothing like what it is today and you need to stay upskilled.

I'm glad I've got it behind me because while you can make a living out of football, I'm not assured you can make a career out of it." And Bohs? He began his career at Dalyer and it was expected he would work again with Pat Fenlon, after the success they had together at Shels.

"It just didn't feel like the right move for me," he said. When Kenna got in contact it felt like the right move at the right time.

"I had been speaking to Jay Gavin on and off," Byrne explained. "I had a chat with Jeff and it was very simple, very easy.

"I just felt that I needed to look at a few things. We had moved house last year and had been in the process of buying a site but there were problems with it. So I needed to sort things out, but I did want to play on."

Kenna needed to sort things out too, after the surprise 3-0 loss to Galway United on the first night of the season - but since then the Saints have been on a winning streak and are sitting nicely in third spot, a point behind Bohs and Derry City.

Byrne reckons the Inchicore outfit can maintain a challenge this season, after previous false dawns.

"I genuinely think so," he said. "The last two seasons have been strange in that there has been one exceptional team - first Drogheda, then Bohs - who possibly over-performed while five or six other clubs under-performed, maybe because there have been a lot of changes at those clubs.

"It's usually a very tight league where there's never an easy game and this season should be a return to that.

"It's still incredibly early and there's a long way to go, but there's a lot to look forward to with the Setanta Cup and Europe so it's great."

CAPTION(S):

TOUGH CALL Jeff Kenna HOUSE OF STUART Stuart Byrne has been planning for a future in architecture when he retires from the game