Furious Trap blasts Kiely’s ‘kindergarten’ exit

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI has dished out his harshest criticism yet of goalkeeper Dean Kiely, describing the player’s reaction to being left out in favour of Kieren Westwood in Craven Cottage on Friday as “like being in a kindergarten”.

Kiely left the Irish squad after being told he would play no part in the friendly against Nigeria, even though it subsequently emerged that Trapattoni had known all along that Westwood’s wedding would rule the Coventry City man out of consideration for next Saturday’s World Cup game in Bulgaria. The embarrassing upshot is that the FAI have been forced into a race against time to provide goalkeeping cover for Shay Given – who says that he needed his 45-minute outing last Friday to increase his sharpness after an injury niggle – with the identities of the late call-ups still to be confirmed.

However, Sheffield United’s Paddy Kenny and Birmingham’s Colin Doyle are expected choices, with Preston’s Wayne Henderson and Scunthorpe United’s Joe Murphy also in the running.

Asked if he could understand Dean Kiely’s point of view, Trapattoni replied “absolutely not” adding that other players – he gave Andy Keogh as an example – wanted to play against Nigeria but had to accept the manager’s decision to look at different options in the friendly game.

Said Trapattoni of Kiely’s decision to leave the camp: “I tried in every possible way to make him understand that it was a mistake, a great mistake for his career. Because he had, for me and us, a great respect. I tried to convince him but he is 38, he is not 20.”

Nor would Trapattoni accept that Kiely might have had a legitimate reason for annoyance given that he was being kept out of the team by a man who it was known would miss the Bulgaria game because of his wedding.

“This is an excuse,” said the manager angrily. “I do not accept the situation where the player is not willing. It’s like being in a kindergarten! Great players have to show commitment independently in the choices that they make. This is an excuse, it’s nothing to do with a wedding.”

Trapattoni refused to attach blame to Westwood for scheduling his wedding on a World Cup qualifying date.

Said the manager: “One month ago he said ‘I have a wedding, on the 6th’. Okay, normally English players are on holidays then. But we had Kiely and we had Given so it was no problem. We had options. It wasn’t a problem for me. The problem is that one decided to go home. That is the problem. Not the wedding.”

Diplomatically saying “never say never”, Trapattoni added that he would not rule out another call-up for Kiely but the fact is that the veteran ‘keeper’s international career is now effectively over.

Should Shay Given incur any fitness problems between now and Saturday, then the fiasco would turn into a crisis, but the ‘keeper insists that a hip problem is not a concern.

Meanwhile the FAI yesterday confirmed agreement has been reached with the Argentine Football Association to bring the two-time world champions to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

The Republic of Ireland senior team will play Argentina on August 11, 2010, an occasion that promises to generate an electric atmosphere and will mark the first international match there.