SUNDERLAND winger Kevin Kilbane is bracing himself for a head-to-head club battle with fellow international Jason McAteer as they try to win a place in the Republic of Ireland squad for next summer's World Cup Finals.

Kilbane came in for his first Premiership start in two months when he replaced the injured McAteer in the goalless home draw against Chelsea.

Now Kilbane knows he has to hang on to Sunderland's problem spot on the right side of midfield if he wants to assure himself of a place in Irish boss Mick McCarthy's plans for Japan and South Korea.

"This is a very important period for all the lads who hope to be in the Republic of Ireland World Cup squad - and you have to be in your club side playing matches.

"Lads like the Leeds defender Gary Kelly have been coming out saying that if he can't get in the team he may have to look at an option of playing elsewhere.

"With the World Cup round the corner you have to be playing and part of the team every week.

"I'm sure Mick McCarthy will be telling the lads that when we meet up in February."

Kilbane knows he faces a tough task winning a regular place in Peter Reid's outfit, especially with rivalry from McAteer and latest £4.5m signing, United States captain Claudio Reyna.

He said: "There will be a lot of competition to get in the Sunderland team - we have players who have missed the last few games and are good enough to be in the squad. The lads who are in the squad at the moment have got to try to hold on their places.

"It is a massive time for us and a pressure time and hopefully I will thrive on that pressure and supply the goods."

Kilbane has already had to switch flanks to get into the team, with Argentinian crowd favourite Julio Arca now the first choice on the left side of midfield.

He said: "I prefer the left wing, I always have done and the manager knows that. But the way Julio and Michael Gray play together it suits the team - they have got a fantastic partnership.

"If I have to play on the right side to get myself in the World Cup squad then so be it. But then Jason will be knocking on the manager's door if he's not in the team because he wants to be playing as well.

"That's what it's all about this game - it's about squads, it's about players and you have to keep producing the goods to keep in there."

Meanwhile, Kilbane has called on his Sunderland teammates to chip in with a few goals instead of relying too heavily on England international Kevin Phillips, who missed a penalty in the goalless home draw against Chelsea.

He said: "We just can't as a team continue to rely too much on Kevin Phillips. We are putting a lot of pressure on Kevin by hoping that he gets our chances and that's the way it's turning out.

"He is creating the chances for himself and if he is not tucking them away we are not getting goals from other areas of the park that are killing teams off.

"That's what we've got to improve on - other players have got to start supplying more goals."

* Liverpool have failed with their bid to have Dietmar Hamann's red card against Sunderland overturned. The German international was sent off by referee Steve Bennett for a two-footed lunge on Bernt Haas at Anfield on November 25, which Liverpool won 1-0.

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