Hull City midfielder Kevin Kilbane says Sunderland's Andy Reid deserves a Republic of Ireland recall.

The Irish face France in a two-legged World Cup qualifying play-off next month, with a Sunderland midfielder Reid's controversial exclusion threatening to overshadow preparations.

Kilbane told the Daily Mail: "Everybody keeps mentioning it. I know Andy Reid very well. I know how good a player he is. But, if you talk about Andy Reid being out of the squad, then you can probably talk about another 10 other players who maybe deserve the chance to be in the squad as well.

"I think it's more high-profile because Andy is playing so well. I think that if he continues to show how good he is at Sunderland then he'll be given a chance again."