'Bitter' Keane blasts McCarthy again

Roy Keane insists he is still “bitter and twisted” over the bust-up with Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy which saw him miss out on this summer’s World Cup finals.

The Manchester United skipper returned home from the Far East after a row over inadequate training facilities escalated into a personal feud with McCarthy.

“I know that time is a great healer and all that but it is still very raw to me,” Keane told The Times, who are serialising his autobiography ‘The Game’.

“It still hurts me and I still feel bitter. Bitter and twisted towards these people.

“People go round the houses talking about my complaints over the training pitches and so on, which were valid.

“But I would have played in the World Cup despite all that if McCarthy hadn’t accused me of faking injuries. It is as simple as that. They dangled a carrot for me and I had a good nibble.

“I saw him on Football Focus saying ‘I don’t appreciate being called an effing w and an effing c’. But if you say I am faking injury and letting my team-mates down, then dead right.

“To me, that is the worst insult you can have. Why hasn’t anyone asked him why he said what he did and why he wanted me out?”

Keane also couldn’t resist another jibe at McCarthy by claiming that the Republic of Ireland boss was partly to blame for his side’s World Cup exit.

Many thought the Irish did well to qualify from the group stages in the Far East before going down to Spain on penalties in the second round.

However, Keane believes that game was there for the taking.

“The World Cup? They did OK, but that’s what they expected because the manager drums that into the team,” he added.

“We’ve done well to qualify, all that nonsense. That’s the problem. That sums up the mentality.

“Spain had 10 men for half an hour, the game was there for the taking. I think a more astute manager would have won the game. Some people have higher standards than others.”

As for his own international future, Keane reiterates the fact that he would love to play for Ireland again - but only after McCarthy has left.

“Mick has two years left on his contract, and obviously I will never play for him again,” added Keane.

“In two years, if some chairman is daft enough to give him a job and someone else comes in, I will look at it again.

“I would not like to finish my international career on that note. Some people seem to think it doesn’t bother me. Of course it bothers me to have missed the World Cup.”