Respect Bridge’s decision, urges Keane

FORMER Ireland skipper Roy Keane understands Wayne Bridge’s decision to turn his back on England ahead of this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

Bridge announced his international retirement on Thursday in the wake of his ex-partner’s alleged affair with former team-mate John Terry.

Keane, who infamously walked out on Ireland on the eve of the 2002 World Cup, says players have to feel comfortable in their surroundings and that Bridge’s decision shouldn’t be seen as quite such a surprise.

Keane said: “You have to be happy in the environment you’re playing football in, that’s at club or international level, schoolboy level or in the academy. It happens. It happens in international football, it happened to myself, it happened to Stephen Ireland. If you’re not happy with the people around you, (if you’re asking whether) they’ve got the same aims as you or whatever, it chips away at you. If the boy Bridge doesn’t want to go, then we’ve got to respect that.”

The Ipswich Town manager doesn’t think Bridge’s absence will make too much difference to England’s hopes.

He reasoned: “If Wayne Bridge isn’t in the squad I don’t think it’ll have any effect on England potentially winning the World Cup. A big country like England will have to deal with setbacks because I can guarantee that there are going to be more injuries before the end of the season. Ashley Cole picked up an injury, so it’s going to happen, that’s what the Premiership does for you, it takes its toll on the body.”

But Keane says it’s not just players’ physical condition which should be taken into consideration: “What goes on between the ears is the most important part of a footballer, people tend to forget that. Do you want to go away with players for six weeks who you’re not comfortable with, not happy with, who have maybe shown you a lack of respect?”

Bridge has been widely criticised for his withdrawal but Keane says it often shows courage to go against the grain: “Not just with him but with the boy Ireland as well, sometimes it’s a brave decision because the easiest thing is go with what everyone’s telling you to do.

“Do I sound like a man of experience there? ‘Just keep your head down, keep the peace’. And what? If you’re not happy with the people around you, you’re not going to perform to the best of your ability anyway.”

For Keane the prestige of the tournament wasn’t an issue when it came to his 2002 decision to return from Saipan: “To me it was irrelevant that it was the World Cup, it was the principle of working with people who question you or whatever it might be. I’m not putting up with that. The easy way is to sit there and keep your mouth shut and go with the flow. And you know what goes with the flow? Dead fish.”