THREE of Roy Keane's compatriots have been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad and Ross Wallace, a Scotsman, feels his own international ambitions can be realised at Sunderland.

Liam Miller, Graham Kavanagh and Stephen Elliott were all yesterday named in Steve Staunton's Irish party for the forthcoming European Championship qualifiers with Cyprus and Czech Republic.

And Wallace, an under-21 international with the Scots, is eager to make his own step up to senior level - and feels playing under Keane can help him to do that.

Wallace arrived from Celtic on deadline day with a growing reputation and at 21 he would appear to have a bright future ahead of him, with a call up to Walter Smith's Scotland squad more than a distinct possibility.

It is unlikely he will be handed a chance to impress for the visit of France to Hampden Park on October 7 but, provided things go well on Wearside in the coming months, Smith, monitoring his progress, could call.

"I would hope to break into the Scotland team, but I've come here to play week in, week out first and foremost," said Wallace, who has four caps to his name at under-21 level.

"I would imagine it would take a few years before I was to break into that Scotland squad, it would be fantastic if it came before that but I'm not expecting it to. I hope I can be a part of it at some stage."

Wallace feels the Championship is of a better standard to the Scottish Premier League, with the exception of the Old Firm giants.

And, having spoken to a former Bhoys team-mate who is also a former Sunderland player, the left-winger insists he has joined a club at a time when the spotlight can help his personal goals.

"I knew Colin Healy who was here and I have kept in touch with him," said Wallace. "He told me it was a magnificent place and I knew I was coming to a massive club.

"They shouldn't be sitting in the Championship, they should be in the Premiership. Hopefully, with the players we have, we can get Sunderland there."

Wallace's club-mate, Elliott, faces a race against time if he is to figure for Ireland in the qualifiers along with Newcastle pair Damien Duff and Alan O'Brien.

The Sunderland striker has not trained for 12 days after picking up an ankle problem in the comprehensive win at Leeds United but was still named by Staunton.

Eyebrows have been raised at Sunderland after the forward's inclusion and chairman Niall Quinn feels Elliott will be a force on the international stage for years to come.

"Stephen Elliot has an ability that only five per cent of forwards have, he's exceptional," said Quinn.

"He's had injury problems and fitness problems but he's working very hard. He has a hunger to match his talent.

"We see the pleasure he has of hitting the net even in training, similar to Kevin Phillips, hopefully we can get him a lot of games and he needs to get 20 games in a row and score in half of them, he could be very big for us going forward."