McCarthy: Ireland's morale 'still brilliant'

Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy insisted the Roy Keane bombshell will not affect the rest of his squad’s preparation for the World Cup finals.

Skipper Keane sent shockwaves through the Irish camp when he told McCarthy last night that he wanted to go home, citing personal problems and worries about his troublesome knee as the reasons.

Keane’s behaviour threatened to throw a spanner in the works even before the World Cup campaign had begun, but McCarthy is grateful for the resilience of his squad.

‘‘Whatever happens the lads will put the best side out at all times. They are brilliant. They came back from training today and all gathered round Roy - they are all together.

McCarthy added: ‘‘Roy trained this morning and is absolutely fine. He has had a change of heart and I am delighted. He should be playing in the World Cup because he is one of the best players in the world.

‘‘Roy plays for one of the biggest clubs in the world week in, week out and I have no worries about him.

‘‘This is one of those things and it comes with the territory. I’d like to have had a lovely restful week and not had this to deal with, but we’ll get on with it.’’

Keane sensationally pulled out of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup campaign last night - then changed his mind hours later.

Republic manager Mick McCarthy even telephoned Cork-born Celtic midfielder Colin Healy and told him he was calling him into the squad to replace his skipper, but then had to ring him back and tell him Keane was staying after all.

The drama unfolded at the team hotel on the island in the Western Pacific where they are acclimatising before flying on to Japan on Friday.

It happened on the last day McCarthy would have been able to make changes to his World Cup squad according to FIFA rules.

McCarthy explained: ‘‘Roy is not out of the World Cup. I spoke to him after training yesterday and he had concerns over his injuries - his knee. He was going to go home after training yesterday.

‘‘He said to me it was personal reasons. I don’t know what they were because he didn’t give them to me. He’d made his mind up and nothing I said was going to change it.

‘‘We had a number of discussions, but then he spoke to other people back at home and that resolved whatever problems there were.

‘‘I know he is worried about his knee, he has treatment on it all the time. That is an ongoing thing and it will be.’’

McCarthy confirmed that he rang Healy, who had been on standby, and told him the good news. But he had to shatter the youngster’s dreams hours later by telling him Keane had changed his mind and was staying with the squad.

‘‘It was on the last day I could get a player in,’’ said McCarthy. ‘‘Roy knew that himself because he told me I could still get someone in, so I went about my job in terms of getting somebody else in.

‘‘I rang Colin, but some time later Roy came back to me and said he had changed his mind, so I have had to ring him back again and change that plan.

‘‘That wasn’t easy. I am inviting Colin out to the World Cup anyway.’’

McCarthy also dismissed suggestions that Keane wanted to quit the squad following an incident with goalkeeping coach Packie Bonner after training yesterday.

Keane was reportedly angry because the Republic’s three goalkeepers - Shay Given, Dean Kiely and Alan Kelly - did not take part in five-a-side practice matches.

Bonner had worked the keepers for 40 minutes before the rest of the World Cup squad arrived and decided to rest them - much to the consternation of the squad captain.

Aggrieved that outfield players had to stand in goal and try to save the ball with their feet, Keane clashed with coach Ian Evans, Bonner and Kelly before he was calmed by McCarthy.

It is understood the exchanges were quite heated.

Keane was first to board the team coach afterwards, but McCarthy said: ‘‘There is some suggestion this is all to do with a bust-up at training, but that is way off the mark.’’

‘‘There were suggestions he had a scuffle in training, and I wasn’t even aware of that Packie has bigger arguments with his lad over his homework. It is a regular occurrence in training.

‘‘I asked him if it was that, or anything else, but he assured me it was personal.

Kenny Cunningham was the only player who missed training today. He has a slight hamstring strain which will rule him out of Saturday’s friendly against Japanese club side Sanfrecce Hiroshima, but should not prevent him from lining up in the opening World Cup Group E clash against Cameroon a week later.

The only other minor concern for McCarthy is midfielder Lee Carsley, who finished the training session early because of a thigh problem.

The players were been given the rest of the day off and played golf at the Coral Ocean Point course by the coast.