Jack: Ireland should apologise

FORMER Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton believes Stephen Ireland’s international future can be easily resolved by the player himself.

The Manchester City midfielder gained notoriety in September last year when he withdrew from the Republic’s Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic after telling then national team boss Steve Staunton his grandmother had died.

Eventually, after claiming his other grandmother had died, it emerged the real reason Ireland had returned home was because his girlfriend Jessica had suffered a miscarriage.