McCarthy: I should have quit after finals

Mick McCarthy says he should have quit as manager of the Republic of Ireland immediately after their World Cup exit.

The Irish just missed out on a place in the quarter-finals following a penalty shoot-out against Spain.

And the former boss believes he should have walked out on a high instead of waiting until European qualifying defeats against Russia and Switzerland.

McCarthy told the Sunday Mail: "In an ideal world, I'd still be Republic boss but it was the right decision to leave.

"With hindsight I should have left after the World Cup and, when it was mentioned at that time that I should bow out there and then, I thought it was the wrong thing to do.

"But we lost the opening two games of the European qualifiers and it was time to leave. The whole thing from the summer [with Roy Keane] wouldn't go away and it was affecting the players and that was the last thing I wanted."

McCarthy is ready to return to management and he claims the incident with Keane will only make him a better boss.

He added: "I've often been asked what I learned from the episode with Keane in Japan and it is still a difficult one to answer.

"I know two things for sure - one, I'll never have to experience anything like that again and, two, the experience will help me in my future management.

"It was a strain I have never experienced in my life before. It was tough but I was happy with the way I handled it."