Carsley making the most of second Irish chance

LEE CARSLEY says he is relishing his second chance in international football and denies that he ever had a falling-out with Steve Staunton or gave the Irish manager a “play-me-or-I won’t-travel” ultimatum.

Speaking at length for the first time about his return to the Irish team after a two-year absence, the Everton midfielder admits that he thought his chance had gone.

“You always hope you’re going to get a call-up, especially when I made myself eligible again,” he says.

“I’d had two years of not being involved and the enthusiasm for coming back was high.

“I’d always spoken to Kev (Kilbane) about what it was like but I was reading stuff saying that Ireland were building for the future and I was thinking maybe my time has gone.

“But I’ve always said that if you’re playing well for your club, you should be up for selection.

“The players in the best form should be in the squad.

“The squad should be picked on merit and hopefully now I’m in there on merit.”

Carsley admits that, by 2004, he’d lost his enthusiasm for international football.

“I hadn’t retired, I just felt like I was coming over to Ireland and going through the motions.

“I knew I wouldn’t be playing, that I’d be on the bench and maybe get on for 10 minutes or whatever,” Carsley added.

“I should have been coming over delighted and proud to have the opportunity to play for my country but that wasn’t the case.

“So rather than go through the motions I decided to concentrate on playing for Everton.”

Over a period of time, he says, his enthusiasm returned, leading to him making it clear that he was once again keen to be available for selection.

But he categorically denies that he demanded that Steve Staunton play him if he was to be included in the squad.

“Definitely not,” he says. “If I’m in the next squad and I don’t get picked, that’s fair enough.”

He also says that his relationship with Staunton is good — and always was.

“We had a good relationship when he was a player. To read that we fell out or had a showdown — nothing could be further from the truth.

“When Steve took over the job, I had one five-minute conversation with him about how he saw my role. That was it, I didn’t speak to him again until the Czech game.

“So to read I wasn’t prepared to come over unless I was playing — nothing could have been further from the truth.”

In the wake of the debacle in Cyprus, Staunton was still showing no inclination to call up Carsley, even though the player texted him in Nicosia to say he was available.

“In the end, only a late injury to Stephen Ireland saw Carsley being called up at the 11th hour for the crunch game in Dublin against the Czech Republic.

“I was surprised,” he admits. I had been reading on teletext and in the papers that players were pulling out and yet I wasn’t getting the call.

“But then I got the call late on the Monday and I was on the plane the next morning. It was fantastic — and it was a good game as well. I was very fired up for that game. I still feel like I’ve got a lot to prove over here. To the fans and to the press as well.

“I’ve not always been the most accommodating when it comes to doing stuff like this and I put that down to being a bit young and a bit hot-headed.”

Carsley, 33, says his return to the green shirt feels like a fresh start, a second chance.

Carsley was speaking in Dublin at the launch of Everton In Ireland, an initiative which sees the club fostering links with Celbridge-based Ballyouster United as well as their supporters in this country.