West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray believes it is imperative for his players to let their football do the talking next season and not get caught up in the hype surrounding the Premier League circus.

Talk is cheap and, importantly for him, the hoopla that engulfs this country's top division similarly disinterests his players.

More wholesome values like humility, honesty and integrity have been instilled in his side throughout the course of the Coca-Cola Championship campaign and it is those that the Baggies will turn to in the top-flight next season.

Publicity, press and media attention are distractions and irrelevances, according the manager, who says he only endures journalists in order to slake the thirst of fans eager for news about their club.

That desire to soak up every snippet of information is sure to grow in the Premier League, especially if the record number of supporters clamouring for season tickets at The Hawthorns is anything to go by, but Mowbray insists his contribution to media life will not change despite what will inevitably be a rise in his own profile.

He said: "I will do whatever I need to do. "I don't think we should do more than we need to and I'm not a publicity seeker. I like my team's talent to grab the publicity.

"We don't need to talk about it. For me, the quality of the team should speak for itself. The image I like to portray is that the football should do the talking.

"I would rather them score goals and keep clean sheets and be brilliant at what they do rather than telling the world how great they are.

"I understand that it's part of my job to talk to people. The game survives off publicity and supporters but I'm not seeking it.

"If I could get by without any press and just prepare my team and get on with it, I would. But I know the supporters want to know what's going on and what the manager's thoughts are, so here I am."

One player not shy of media attention is Dean Kiely, who thrust himself back into the international spotlight this week after coming out of retirement for the Republic of Ireland.

The 37-year-old goalkeeper, who retired in 2003 with eight caps, has been named as part of Giovanni Trapattoni's 28-man squad for the forthcoming training camp in Portugal.

Kiely revealed that the county's new-look management team was prominent in his decision making He said: "I was asked by the media what I thought about the new management set up and the appointment of Mr Trapattoni, Liam Brady and Marco Tardelli and, from a player's point of view, you couldn't ask for a lot more.

"They are very exciting appointments. "For people my age, growing up watching football, names like those are all legendary figures, so to take to the same training field and to be around such people is a massive opportunity.

"The idea of turning up for that first training session was very exciting and that certainly did feed my into my decision making process.

"It was just an offer that I'd have been foolish to turn down."

Albion are on target to sell a record number of season tickets this summer, the most since the club were in the Premier League in 2004/05 when 20,500 were sold.

Around 20,000 season tickets have already been sold for the 2008/09 season, with more than 1,100 fans on the waiting list.

The Baggies sold out of the 5,000 season tickets they had available to new applicants over a fortnight ago and only 1,800 of last season's 16,000 non-corporate season ticket holders have yet to renew.

These seats will be reserved until the renewal deadline of 1pm, on May 30.

After this date, the remaining tickets will go on sale to supporters who have added their names to the waiting list.