IF Stephen Ireland is a hedgehog then Stephen Hunt is a meerkat. While the first subscribes to the Greta Garbo approach to international football, the other is in Giovanni Trapattoni's face -- pick me, go on, pick me.

There's a bit of the fox in Hunt too. He's well tuned in to the media game and understands how to oil the wheels with a quotable quote but not so much lately. He was in the thick of the Stephen Ireland debate when it first arose and he met it head on.

His message to Ireland was simple. Wipe the slate and get stuck in -- no hard feelings. Remember, Ireland walked out on Ireland and for Hunt to voice such sentiments was a clear invitation and an olive branch if one were needed.

It was rebuffed, as has been every effort since, culminating in the latest definitive statement from Glossop. Hands up anyone who is tired of this.

After the latest pronouncement from Ireland, Hunt might have waded in again but he chose not to. He's learned that there are times to say nothing and times to speak though he maintains that his approach hasn't changed much.

"It's a learning curve, I suppose but I'll still say how I feel even though sometimes I think, no I shouldn't have said that. But it's as much about me getting something off my chest. If I didn't, it would be at me," he said.

Maybe, but he takes a lot more time these days to think about his answers and that's to be expected for someone who is quick on his feet. Building up Premier League credit is the priority and he's busy doing that, dogged in his pursuit of higher standards and greater rewards.

Hunt didn't mince his words when he spoke about Trapattoni's future with the Irish team and urged the FAI to sign him up to a new deal now.

"I don't know whether they're in talks or what they're doing but he's been good for Ireland. We're in with a chance of qualifying for a World Cup and to be honest, not many people would have thought that after the last campaign.

Belief

So he's obviously doing something right and the players are behind him. We've got a belief that we can go all the way."

"He has improved me and more to come. We have a difficult game, it's getting to the serious stage of the competition and it's getting close now. Hopefully we can come from behind and nick it on the line."

Imagine if you could graft Hunt's hungry persistence and defiance on to 20 players of varying talents and send them to the World Cup finals. The awful pity is that Ireland shows many of the same characteristics on a daily basis but he has vastly different priorities.

At some visceral level, Stephen Ireland is desperate to play for his country again but the very trait that makes Hunt such an honest and often admirable performer in a green shirt has become twisted until only light blue will do.

Hunt arrived on the Irish scene without refinement and spoke openly about his intention to challenge Damien Duff for his place. Nobody doubted his enthusiasm but we wondered about his approach and his ability.

He has undoubtedly changed and improved. Trapattoni has played a big part in that. There's less chance now that Hunt will explode like an unguided missile and he is more focused than ever before on what is expected of him in an Irish shirt.

Hunt deserves great credit for all of this. His route to the Premier League has been hard and he's had to fight doubters all the way to get where he is now.

He has certainly earned the right to challenge Trapattoni to pick him by his actions and even if he doesn't have the deft class that Ireland exhibits on an increasingly regular basis, he has buckets more pride.

He also has energy in large quantities and mental toughness and these are the qualities that Trapattoni finds attractive. Hunt admits his levels dropped toward the end of last season.

"Mentally and physically I'm fine. Towards the end of any season is difficult when you play so many games. But I've had rest over the summer and come back revitalised and fresh," he said.

Hunt proved his fitness with a couple of barnstorming performances for Hull, most notably in the season opener against Chelsea where he also found his temperament tested.

"It was horrific in the first 20 minutes, wasn't it," said Hunt with a grin. "Then I got a goal and it was alright after that."

Hunt is one of those players who thrives on abuse from opposing players and supporters and he has a great capacity to move on quickly. His thoughts on the baggage attached to Cyprus are refreshing.

What does he remember about that awful night?

"I didn't watch it -- I didn't see it. It was three years ago. I saw the goals. It's still fresh in people's minds who were there but it's gone now. Cyprus? Good team. They haven't had the results they deserve and we have to go out there and hope they stay unlucky," he said and that, effectively, was that.

He's right, of course. That dire event three years ago was a universe away from where we are now and even if the rest of us could do with something to help forget that night, the players shouldn't be preoccupied with a result that was always a possibility under Steve Staunton and would have happened somewhere else if it didn't happen in Cyprus.

Away form under Trapattoni has been the rock this qualification attempt has been built on and Hunt sees this fixture as a means to an end -- three from the nine points he knows are needed.

"To qualify we have to win three. Italy have that way about them that they will always do just enough to qualify and we need to win away to put pressure on them."

Healthy

"There's competition in my position and everywhere else too. It's healthy and even if we all want to play, it doesn't mean we won't be together when it counts. We all want to go to the World Cup together.

"If you're playing well in the Premier League that helps. It breeds confidence. That's the way it should be. We're international players and we should be playing well."

Hunt looks upon the chastening defeat by Australia last month as a one-off but nevertheless, a lesson in the dangers of complacency. Morale took a beating.

"That game was about getting fitness. It was three days before the start of the season and a difficult time for players. We'll be 20pc fitter now than we were then.

"But maybe confidence was knocked by the result. I think we underestimated Australia and they were a good side. Strong and quick."

It will be a few days before Hunt knows whether Trapattoni will choose Aiden McGeady's twinkling skills over his own more direct and aggressive approach.

The Irish boss has talked about a war against Cyprus, a tad over the top but we get the picture. Hunt is the man for trench warfare, no doubt about that.

- Paul Hyland