Comeback kid withdraws

BRIAN KERR refused to take anything but a positive view of Roy Keane's 11th hour withdrawal as Ireland travelled from Dublin yesterday for tomorrow's friendly with Poland.

He stressed the change of plan was a postponement of the return of the 32-year-old to international action after a 23-month absence.

Kerr had spoken of Keane's hamstring problems after a squad training session yesterday at Malahide. And at Dublin Airport, he confirmed that a review with Ireland's medical staff caused all parties to agree Keane should return to Manchester for treatment.

Said Kerr: "The medical team had a look at him. He was anxious to go but the feeling was that with the damage he has had to the hamstring, there was a danger of aggravating the injury if he played, so it was in his best interests if he did not come."

Keane's withdrawal brought the number of defections from Kerr's original squad to 11. It might be pertinent to ask what purpose this match will serve, since Ireland will field an experimental team.

If Kerr had any doubts after a two- and-a-half hour flight to Bydgoszcz, he did not divulge them. But he said that this exercise already had a positive result.

"Roy trained well this morning and he was happy to be here. It was important for him to get out there with the lads. We have World Cup matches in September and October and Roy realises he needs to be part of the team and integrate himself into what is a changed team from the one he left in Japan," he said.

The withdrawals to the squad put into perspective just how changed the Irish squad is from that which took part in the 2002 World Cup. Only seven players who were in Saipan were at Malahide for the pre-flight training session. The rest have retired or were missing through injury.

Matt Holland (Charlton), David Connolly (West Ham) and Robbie Keane withdrew yesterday, but Keane, who received a knock on the head as Spurs drew with Arsenal on Sunday, will join the group in Bydgoszcz today if he is cleared by Spurs medical staff. The leading goalscorer in the National League, Jason Byrne of Shelbourne, was among the players called up to fill the gaps. The others are midfielders Jonathan Douglas (Blackburn), Steven Reid (Blackburn), Michael Doyle (Coventry) and centre-forward Graham Barrett (Coventry).

The late withdrawal of Keane was the sole topic of the press conference when Ireland arrived in Poland. Kerr was quizzed about nothing else by local journalists.

He admitted afterwards that the high profile enjoyed by Keane set the agenda but said: "There is no pressure about this issue. It is a practical issue of Roy becoming part of the team again. It just happens that the next few games are friendlies.

"I don't see it (the media fuss) as a distraction, I see it as part of the job. I have to deal with players and situations and I've had a lot of that over the last few nights."

Kerr also insisted Keane had been accepted as just another member of the squad.

He said: "There have been no reception parties. People come and join in, it's as simple as that. There have been no problems. Obviously he was disappointed (at missing the match). He wanted to go, but he was happy with the couple of days he had with us, that he has got that out of the way."

Yet special arrangements had been made to accommodate the stir when a player of such high profile joined the group. The number of security staff when Ireland trained at Malahide was twice the regular quota.

Kerr has been at pains to keep everything low key but he cannot change the past, and history will always colour this saga. The beat goes on, the song said, and with Roy Keane, it seems destined to reverberate for a long time.

Keane has not played for Ireland in a non-competitive international outside of Britain and Ireland since 1994. His last friendly away international was against Germany in Hanover in May, in the build- up to the USA World Cup.

Kerr waved aside any significance about Keane's change of heart, and said: "I don't set the agenda. My agenda is the team and the best players we can get. It's for the media to raise the profile.

"But there is no doubt somebody of Roy's ability, tenacity and his great experience and desire will help the young players and this could possibly be the youngest squad we've ever had together."