FAI to apply for Healy to replace Keane

By Mark Gallagher, Izumo

The FAI will make a formal application to FIFA within the next few hours to bring Colin Healy to Japan as a replacement for Roy Keane.

With the whole Keane affair finished, Brendan Menton says the FAI can now concentrate on fighting to bring Healy to the World Cup.

"Because of everything that went on in the past few days, we didn’t want to make an application to bring Healy when we still didn’t know what was going on with Roy. We held off, but an application will be made after the FIFA congress this afternoon."

Menton said a deal was struck last night to bring Keane back into the fold, with a statement to appear

at 10pm yesterday evening. However, it all counted on an apologetic phonecall from the skipper to his manager, which never came.

"The only person that scuppered Roy’s return was Roy. We had done everything, arranging his flight to Tokyo, a statement made by Mick. All we needed was his phone call to Mick, we were told it was going to happen, but it never came," Menton said.

"We are as disappointed as anyone the call never came. We were convinced he was on his way," the FAI General Secretary remarked.