Carr calls time on international career as Givens baffled by defender’s decision

WITH the lack of defensive options concerning caretaker manager Don Givens, it was perhaps all too appropriate yesterday that Irish football should lose yet another defender but this time for good.

Newcastle United’s Stephen Carr confirmed that he is hanging up his international boots after injury curtailed Carr’s involvement under Steve Staunton to just three games.

The 31-year-old said: “I feel honoured to have represented the Republic of Ireland on 44 occasions and have thoroughly enjoyed my international career. It is a chance now for the FAI to re-build for the future. There are many good young people coming out of Ireland, like Kevin Foley, at Wolves who should get the opportunity to play now.”

At Ireland’s training session in Glamorgan, the news of Carr’s retirement was greeted by Don Givens with a mixture of courtesy and bafflement.

Said the caretaker gaffer: “Stephen Carr is injured which is why I didn’t call him in this time but it’s disappointing when anybody goes from the international scene. He’s been a big player for us and a good pro.

“But I don’t know what to make of people who retire from international football especially when they’re at a reasonable age. It’s a difficult one to understand. It’s happened in England, it’s happened in all sorts of places. I don’t know if the pressures today are any greater. At the age some of them are doing it, I certainly wouldn’t have done it. Different strokes for different folks, but it didn’t tend to happen (in my day).

“I don’t know whether financial situations have a bearing on it in the long run. Not that we were rewarded greatly for playing for the FAI when I played, but I think finance has clouded a lot of things. It’s a whole different ball game financially today.”

Of more immediate concern is another defender, Paul McShane who had to sit out training yesterday after shipping a knock to the hip the previous day. However, Givens described the move as purely precautionary, saying: “We’ve got to wrap them up a little bit now. Given the situation with all the defenders pulling out, we have to make sure nobody does anything else in training.”

The same cautious spirit accounted for the fact that Stephen Hunt was also rested yesterday, after an x-ray appeared to show no significant damage to the ankle he injured playing for Reading against Arsenal. However, Jonathan Douglas is definitely out, after picking up a hamstring strain playing for Leeds United on Monday night.

But better news for Givens was that captain Robbie Keane, who had been nursing a minor knock, was able to take a full part in training yesterday, while Shay Given, although he missed the session, was all set to join up with the Irish squad later in the day. As the interim manager sees it, the goalkeeper’s fitness is important not just for Saturday but for the long-term future of Irish football.

“Obviously, our goalkeeping after Shay and for the future is a bit iffy to say the least,” said Givens. “We have people (like Colin Doyle) who have not been playing regularly. Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe) is playing regularly but not playing at the best level if you like. So, we need to wrap Shay up for another five years to keep him going.

“Shay had a real bad injury last year with the bowel problem and that seems to have caused one or two groin problems. But I know, from Ireland’s point of view, that he will come on one leg and play for us. But the situation after that will hopefully sort itself out, because you can’t just go and buy one. Somebody has got to step forward and do it. That’ll hopefully take care of itself in the long run.”