Robbie Keane has backed competitive debutants Caleb Folan and Sean St Ledger to pass the mammoth test they face in the heat of the Vasil Levski Stadium this evening.

The Irish skipper has been impressed with the duo in the build-up, and knows Folan particularly well considering he was a reserve at Leeds while the Keane was at Elland Road.

“I saw what potential he had then, he was a bit different to the other players you might see around,” recalls Keane. “He’s a big lad but he also has a great touch and a bit of the pace, the ability to make an impact.

“You saw how well he did against Italy, he came into the game there and didn’t look afraid. If he can make that kind of impact again here, then he’s certainly got a great future.”

St Ledger has been the surprise promotion of the past fortnight, with Keane acknowledging that he really didn’t know that much about the 24-year-old before this gathering.

“He’d been in the squad a few years before, and I was impressed with him but I’d only really seen him on a few occasions before this,” said Keane. “I thought he did very well last week, Nigeria are a tough team and he showed what he can do in that game.”

The Spurs man says that integrating the newcomers into the camp has been no problem, because that is the greatest strength of this group of players.

“There’s no individuals here”, said Keane, “We’re all in this together.“