Trap hits out at Kelly’s ‘play me or I go home’ ultimatum

An angry Giovanni Trapattoni has, for the first time, given credence to the story Stephen Kelly was at loggerheads with the Irish management before the team flew out of Dublin to play the Faroe Islands last October.

It was widely reported that, in the pressure cooker atmosphere following the 6-1 humbling by Germany, there had been a training ground flare-up between the defender and the Ireland management, with the player subsequently having to be persuaded to board the flight to Torshavn with the rest of the squad.

Trapattoni sought to pour cold water on the media reports at the time and, more recently, when asked why he was leaving Kelly out of his squad for Wednesday’s friendly against Poland, explained that the full-back was being “rested”.