A scare on road to Euro 2016

Given that he found himself featuring in yet another non-football story to hog the headlines in Ireland, Martin O’Neill was asked yesterday if, since becoming national manager, he has ever felt like he’s ended up in a soap opera.

The Derryman looked down, unsuccessfully sought to stifle a laugh and, almost in a whisper, observed: “It’s all a bit of fun.”

Of course, it felt like anything but on the M50 at tea-time on Tuesday when Roy Keane’s Range Rover, with the entire coaching staff on board, was given a violent jolt from behind.

“Roy’s car has taken a bit a thump at the back (and) the young lad’s car is a write-off after he smashed into the back of us,” O’Neill said yesterday.

“He stopped dead, he couldn’t go any further because his car wouldn’t go any further. We pulled over to the side of the road about 200 yards up. We walked up to see if everything was alright but we didn’t actually speak to him.”

Fortunately, all concerned escaped without serious injury, the Irish management and coaching staff able to report for duty as normal at Gannon Park yesterday.

Asked if it had been a scary experience, O’Neill told reporters: “Yeah, but listen, we’re fine.”

Later, he added: “I’m alive and, unfortunately for you, I’m going to stay alive! I’m okay, genuinely.”

The accident had occurred as O’Neill, Keane and coaches Steve Walford, Steve Guppy and Seamus McDonagh were returning to the team hotel in Portmarnock from a trip south, the manager having designated Tuesday a day off in the Irish camp.

In the course of “a very pleasant” day, O’Neill and company had visited the Titanic Musem in Cobh and also went to have a look at “Roy’s old stomping ground, Rockmount.”

Had O’Neill not been worried that the Titanic might have been a bad omen?

“I never thought (of that),” he mused, “I just thought it might be interesting to see.”