I feel no guilt, insists Keane

Defiant Roy Keane was still refusing to apologise today, after being sent home from the World Cup and said there was no way he could be persuaded to rejoin the Republic of Ireland squad.

The former captain was back with his wife and four children this weekend after flying back from Japan.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, the Manchester United star said: ‘‘I don’t feel an ounce of guilt about my part in what has happened.

‘‘I will return to Ireland next week and walk down the main street in Cork with my head held high. I have nothing to be ashamed of.

‘‘Apologies? I don’t think I should be apologising. If anything, I believe the apologies are for others to apologise to me.’’

His departure from the tournament - before a ball had even been kicked - came after he criticised the squad’s training facilities at their Pacific island base.

He later became involved in a ‘‘slanging match’’ with Irish manager Mick McCarthy in what were intended to be ‘‘clear-the-air’’ talks.

In the interview, Keane stressed his pride in the Irish nation but dismissed attempts by Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern and other influential figures to persuade him to change his mind.

He said: ‘‘There is absolutely no chance of that happening, never in a million years. I won’t be going back to Japan.’’

The 31-year-old star said he would only play for the Republic again if McCarthy was no longer in charge and claimed much of what had been written about his dramatic expulsion from the tournament was nonsense.

Speaking after a 17-hour journey back to his family home in Hale, Cheshire, yesterday Keane admitted verbally abusing McCarthy and accepted he was ‘‘no angel’’.

But he denied calling the manager an ‘‘Englishman not an Irishman’’ and said he had been right to raise concerns about the Irish team’s preparations for the tournament.

He claimed two of the players agreed with his comments and said he should have stuck with his original decision to walk away from the World Cup.

Keane arrived home shortly after 8am yesterday after his flight from Far East.

Outside, dozens of reporters waited in vain for a comment from the outspoken Irishman on the turbulent 24 hours which brought about his sacking from the squad.

McCarthy said the abuse levelled at him left him no alternative but to send the country’s most high-profile player home.

On Wednesday, the Old Trafford skipper asked to be left out of the squad for personal reasons.

He then had a change of heart overnight and decided to stay with the squad.

But the following day Keane criticised the FAI and Ireland’s World Cup preparations in an interview with the Irish Times.

That was a bridge too far for McCarthy, who felt Keane’s continued presence would have a destabilising effect on the squad.

Earlier yesterday, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson defended Keane and insisted all he had wanted was what was best for his team.

In an interview with RTE, Alex said he wanted to speak to McCarthy so he knew both sides of the story.

Speaking at the Curragh racecourse, where his horse Rock of Gibraltar won the Irish 2000 Guineas, Ferguson said: ‘‘I think he is the greatest player I have ever had and he is probably the greatest Irishman ever. And he was playing for his country and that’s important.

‘‘He expressed the wish today when he knew I was going to be interviewed that he wants Ireland to do well and that was his main issue - for Ireland to do well - because he is a great Irishman.’’