Internationals / Ralph Ellis / 14 November 2011 /

This weekend we say thirty-somethings Robbie Keane, Frank Lampard, Craig Bellamy and Kenny Miller all shine for their countries. In the days of Champions League football, glitzy parties and millionaire players, it was nice to see, says Ralph Ellis.

It's easy to get cynical about modern football - and never more so than in the first few days of this month. There was John Terry's race row with Anton Ferdinand, Carlos Tevez going AWOL, and then St James' Park got renamed the Tatty Cheap T-Shirt stadium (or something like that, anyway).

So praise be for a weekend that reminded us that still, despite all the money at stake, somewhere inside most big Premier League players lurks the spirit of the little boy who first dreamed of playing for his country.

It began with one who is actually an ex Premier League player now - but that didn't stop Robbie Keane from flying half way round the world to join up with the Republic of Ireland squad. His new life with LA Galaxy has drawn him into the Beckham's world of showbiz parties with Hollywood glitz and glamour. But it didn't stop the 31-year-old from working overtime at his rehab to shake off a hip muscle injury that was meant to have kept him out of the Euro 2012 play-off with Estonia.

He got fit, got home, and has all but got The Republic into the finals after scoring twice in Friday night's astonishing 4-0 win in Tallinn. Giovanni Trappatoni's side, who suffered so much heartbreak in their last play-off games against France before the 2010 World Cup, can make tomorrow night's second leg at the Aviva Stadium nothing less than a party - and against demoralised and suspension-hit opponents are a generous [1.41] to celebrate the night with another win.

A little earlier that evening Kenny Miller had put Scotland on the way to a 2-1 win in Cyprus with a spectacular strike that lifted him into sixth place in his country's all-time list of goalscorers. The 32-year-old has been fighting off an assortment of niggling injuries this season after coming back from Turkey to play for Cardiff - but it didn't stop him answering Craig Levein's call. Seven other players cried off from the original Scottish squad, but Miller is determined to remain a part of the qualifying campaign for the next World Cup. So on a night that was meant to be about experimenting with youngsters, he made sure his manager got a reminder that you can't beat experience.

On Saturday it was Frank Lampard's turn. It's only a couple of months ago we were hearing that his best days were behind him. Chelsea were looking at different options and signalling that the man who was once their first pick might have a new role as a super sub. And it was being suggested that England wouldn't want him either.

Lampard has all the celebrity lifestyle. His fiancée Christine Bleakley is his ticket to the show business parties in London. He's a millionaire several times over in his own right, too. But the way he's responded to the threat that his career might be on the wane has been exemplary. Made captain by Fabio Capello for England's side against Spain on his 90th cap, he marked the occasion by heading home the winning goal. Okay, it was one of those ones that Harry Redknapp would tell you his missus could have scored, a header from about three inches. But it was still his 23rd international goal. And by the way, he's picked up five in as many games for Chelsea since forcing his way back into the starting line-up. Get on him at [15.5] to be top English scorer in the Premier League while you can.

Lampard's display was the best example of the commitment that all Fabio Capello's players brought to what was, even though it was against the World Champions, just a friendly. The concentration levels were 100 per cent, and you hope the senior players will demand the same standards against Sweden tomorrow. If they do, then [1.79] for a home win is a safe bet.

The last of the golden oldies on a winning British Islands weekend was Craig Bellamy, who produced a dazzling effort as part of a Man Of The Match display for Wales in their 4-1 win over Norway. Just over a year ago it looked as if his international days might have been drawing to a close, disenchanted with the last days of the John Toshack regime and trying to protect his knees to get him through 46 Championship games with Cardiff.

Now he's being used in a cameo role at Anfield and it suits Liverpool, Wales and Bellamy himself for him to top up his match fitness in internationals. Four wins in five games under Gary Speed's more professionally run regime have seen Wales' odds to finish top of World Cup qualifying group A drop to just [10]. It may still be a dream that Wales might end more than 50 years waiting to qualify for a major tournament - but at least it's great to know that the players themselves are also doing the dreaming.

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