GARETH Farrelly could be excused if he had a sleepless night last night.

The Wanderers midfielder has had a nightmare season with injury.

And just as he starts to find his feet with his longest run of the season of three successive games he comes up against Roy Keane.

But the Reebok Republic of Ireland international is buzzing at the prospect of matching himself against the man he respects more than any other in football.

"He's my favourite player," says Farrelly of his international team-mate.

"Everything about him is so impressive.

"I'm looking forward to playing against him because you want to play against the best when you are a professional footballer because that is the only way you can measure yourself.

"He is probably the best midfield player in the Premiership and I can measure myself against him tonight.

"The standards he sets himself are the same as the standards we are trying to introduce at Bolton."

Farrelly warned that United will be out for revenge tonight after losing to Wanderers at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

"It is a special game for the players as well as the supporters," he said.

"It gives us the chance to show how far we have come this year. United will have talked about what happened at Old Trafford and they will want to rectify that.

"They are used to massive games while for us it is like a cup final."