Players present united front

THE three players who attended last night’s crisis conference in Saipan in support of manager Mick McCarthy have a combined total of 220 international appearances between them.

Steve Staunton, who is set to become the first Irish player to win 100 caps in this tournament, Niall Quinn and Alan Kelly all expressed their regret at the development and their admiration of Roy Keane - but they insisted he had to go.