Trap ‘disappointed’ as Kiely walks out on Ireland

DEAN KIELY appears certain to have played his last game for the Republic of Ireland after walking out of the team’s training camp yesterday.

The West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper was unhappy at being told by manager Giovanni Trapattoni that he would not be featuring in tonight’s friendly international with Nigeria at Craven Cottage, the Italian having decided that he would be better served handing an opportunity to Keiren Westwood.

The Coventry City goalkeeper is likely to take over from Shay Given at half-time tonight, the latter having recovered from his hip injury quicker than expected.

Kiely was informed by Trapattoni at the team’s London hotel yesterday morning and duly decided he would rather travel back to his family home in the west midlands than join the rest of the squad at Arsenal’s London Colney complex for the afternoon session.

Trapattoni accepted Kiely’s decision and was restrained in his public criticism of the player yesterday, merely remarking that he was “disappointed”.

However, it now seems inconceivable that the 38-year-old – who has lost his first team place at West Brom to Scott Carson – will add to his 10 international caps.

“Dean has gone back home,” Trapattoni said. “I told him that it’s better if he stayed with us, but he wished to go. He said he was a bit disappointed. I can’t say what we think about that.

“I’m a bit disappointed. I have to respect the older players but also my job is to look forward at other situations and it’s important that we look at Westwood as well. I told Dean that and he said: ‘Okay, I will go back to my family.’

“But there is no problem with this. You see sides like England pick squads of 30 or 35 players and why? Because they need players in the squad.”

Trapattoni appeared sanguine at events yesterday but Kiely’s abrupt departure does leave him with a conundrum for the pivotal World Cup qualifier with Bulgaria a week tomorrow. He is now likely to call up a third goalkeeper to provide back-up to Westwood and Given, with Scunthorpe’s Joe Murphy and Sheffield United’s Paddy Kenny the leading contenders.

“I do not say whether Westwood is definitely the number two goalkeeper,” Trapattoni added. “We have other options and we might have to call up another goalkeeper for the Bulgaria game.”

Kiely’s walk-out ensures his 10-year international career has ended on a suitably turbulent note. The Salford-born goalkeeper, who declined to comment when contacted last night, has already retired once from international football, in 2003, when frustration at failing to dislodge Given under former manager Brian Kerr proved too much to bear.

He returned in Trapattoni’s first squad and played the whole 90 minutes of the new manager’s first game, the 1-1 draw with Serbia at Croke Park.

He followed that with a man-of-the-match display in the victory over Colombia – also played at Fulham – but disappointment was to follow as Given was restored to the starting line-up three months later. He has not played for Ireland since and now, it seems, will never play again.