Ireland rules out Irish return

GIOVANNI Trapattoni has long insisted that his door remains open to Stephen Ireland but, far from showing any intention of walking through, the Manchester City midfielder has now ruled out the possibility of a return to international football, at least in the short term, saying he “feels better off away from it”.

In an interview published yesterday, the Manchester City midfielder said: “I’ll never say never, but right now I don’t miss international football, not at all. I’m happy playing for the club and I’ve got a young family to think of. My commitment is to Manchester City and my family.”

The Cobh native hasn’t played for his country since his sudden departure from the Irish camp in Prague last September spawned the notorious ‘Grannygate’ saga.