McCarthy row with Keane starts downfall

Mick McCarthy's problems with Roy Keane began when the midfielder was involved in a training ground bust-up with Packie Bonner and Alan Kelly before the World Cup.

Keane clashed with goalkeeping coach Bonner and keeper Kelly in a row over a five-a-side training game when Bonner kept the Irish goalkeepers out of the match at their Pacific Island training ground.

Bonner had worked the keepers for 40 minutes before the rest of the squad arrived, so decided to rest Shay Given, Dean Kiely and Kelly.

It annoyed Keane that outfield players had to stand in goal and try and save the ball with their feet, and he clashed with coach Ian Evans, Bonner and Kelly before being told to calm down by McCarthy.

However, Keane decided he wanted to fly home before being persuaded to stay, only for an even bigger row to develop between him and McCarthy at the team’s training base at Saipan.

The Manchester United skipper complained bitterly about what he claimed were sub-standard training conditions and then blasted McCarthy in an amazing tirade in front of the squad.

McCarthy recalled in his World Cup diary: “I have never seen any human being act like this before.

"He (Keane) is delirious. He continues the abuse, dragging up an argument we had in Boston in 1992.

“It goes on and on and on. My best player, my captain, has just savaged me in front of his team-mates.

“I can’t organise training. I can’t make a decision. I can’t get inside players’ heads. I can’t manage people.”

McCarthy had little option but to send Keane home, and despite being open to his return if he apologised, no such apology was forthcoming. Keane has since said McCarthy can “rot in hell for all I care”.