I never lose any sleep over Saipan, insists Keane

EIGHT years on, Roy Keane insists his decision to quit the Republic of Ireland on the eve of the 2002 World Cup has never caused him to lose sleep.

Indeed, the former Manchester United skipper believes his Saipan walk-out helped to transform the running of the national set up and expressed hope that “Irish football will be now taken seriously.”

Ahead of the 2010 tournament which kicks off today, Keane said: “Missing out on the 2002 World Cup finals does not lose me any sleep. I enjoyed helping Ireland qualify, and the madness of it all is that people still don’t know the full story. There are as usual plenty of second guesses.

“There was a view within the Irish camp that just because we had qualified we had done enough. But that did not sit with me. With a good manager who has brought a professional attitude and a new stadium about to open my hope is that Irish football will be now taken seriously. There has been an improvement, but there is a lot more to be done.”

The Ipswich boss again said he was “up against it” from the first time he joined up with a national squad.

“It goes back to when I was a teenager and went to France and then Spain with the Republic of Ireland youth sides and did not get a run out when every youngster did. From day one I appeared to be up against it – and that feeling stayed to 2002.

“We had pot holes on our training pitch and the assumption was that ‘We’re only Ireland we don’t deserve top pitches to train on.’ This was borne out of a low self esteem, and would not have been accepted by other countries.”

According to Keane, too little has been expected of the Irish team and going back to the 1994 World Cup in the USA players were keen to hit the drink at the first opportunity.

“It’s the mentality of Irish sport – win or lose, hit the booze. I was as guilty as anyone in 1994 when the players drank as much as the fans.”

Meanwhile, Ipswich owner and chairman Marcus Evans is reported to have met with Keane yesterday to reassure him regarding his position in the wake of this week’s claims of his likely sacking.