'I specifically remember cheese sandwiches': Roy Keane has 'no regrets' as Saipan changed Ireland standards

Keane was speaking with Micah Richards and Clinton Morrison on their road trip in the third episode of their new Sky Bet World Cup mini-series, Road To America.

Tue, 09 Jun, 2026 - 10:23

Andrew Horgan

It wouldn’t be a proper World Cup build-up without the subject of Saipan rearing it’s head once again.

Just when you think you have heard everything you need to hear on the most infamous moment in Irish football history or have seen everything you need to see thanks to the film on the matter, more seems to creep out.

And this time the latest person to have his say on what happened ahead of the 2002 World Cup is the man at the centre of it all; Roy Keane, who was speaking with Micah Richards and Clinton Morrison on their road trip in the third episode of their new Sky Bet World Cup mini-series, Road To America.

“Given everything that had happened with Ireland over many years, there was always going to be a tipping point,” began the former Ireland captain, who proceeded to explain his side in depth.

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“I could not have done anything differently and I have no regrets. Do I wish it had happened? Of course not. But if a manager calls a player out in front of an entire squad, I am going to react.

“We had already moved on from issues surrounding the training kit and were due to fly out to the FIFA training camp the following morning. Even Kevin [Kilbane], who would probably be considered closer to Mick’s side of the argument, later said he could not believe Mick had not spoken to me privately.

“I have been a player, and I have been a manager. If Mick McCarthy had come to my room that night and said, ‘What happened earlier was wrong, let’s sort it out,’ it would have been over immediately. Throughout my career, whenever somebody has reached out and tried to resolve an issue, I have always been willing to shake hands and move on.

"I don't think I could do it any differently..."

The 2002 World Cup. Mick McCarthy. Saipan.

...in Roy Keane's words 👇 pic.twitter.com/tJdSFFjNlp
— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) June 9, 2026

“You have to understand the background to everything that happened. I had been involved with Ireland since I was 15 years old. I had watched Ireland in 1988 and 1990, played in the 1994 World Cup and spent years fighting battles over travel arrangements, preparation and standards. When Mick got the job, there were conversations about improving things and doing things properly, so all that history was there in the background.

“If this disagreement had happened after a friendly against Malta, nobody would have cared. The reason it became such a huge story was because it happened on the eve of a World Cup.

“The easiest thing for me would have been to keep quiet. I was 32 years old, I had won major honours, I had played in a World Cup, and I could simply have ignored everything. But I would have felt more guilty sitting here today if I had done that. I wanted to leave things better for the players who came after me.

“People often talk about qualifying for the World Cup, but my standards were always higher than that. I wanted us to do things properly. There were members of staff and players who came to me privately and said they agreed with what I was saying, but they wanted to play in the World Cup. I understood that completely. It was not their battle.

“Afterwards, things improved. Players travelled differently, standards improved and certain issues were addressed. There was even an independent review commissioned by the Football Association of Ireland and it was highly critical of both the organisation and aspects of the management. That is why I reject the suggestion that I was looking for trouble or acting out of ego because I played for [Manchester] United. The easiest thing for me would have been to ignore everything.

Eanna Hardwicke as Roy Keane in a screenshot from Saipan

“I remember the night before we played Holland away in qualification. We arrived at the hotel and there was virtually no proper food available for the players. I specifically remember cheese sandwiches. We were senior international footballers preparing to face one of the best teams in the world the following day, and I was expected to run 14km against a side that would dominate possession.

“I went over to Mick and the staff and asked where the food was. We were not talking about luxury meals or spending huge amounts of money. We were talking about basic preparation and having pasta available for professional footballers. When someone told me that I should have asked for it, I reminded them that I already had. My point was simple: why should players have to fight for basic standards?

“That was always my mindset. When I later became part of Martin O’Neill’s staff with Ireland, one of the first things I spoke about was making sure preparation was right because that is something you can control.

“When people ask whether a bowl of pasta would have made us a better team, the answer is no. But why should we not have the same professional standards as countries such as Germany or Brazil? Why should we accept less?

“Leaving the World Cup was heartbreaking. It was devastating for my family and caused enormous stress, particularly for my mother. But if the exact same circumstances happened tomorrow, I honestly do not think I would act any differently.

“My conscience is clear. I wish it had never happened, but I believed I was standing up not just for myself, but for future generations of Irish players. If younger players had been forced to fight those battles, I would have felt I had failed as captain and as a senior player.

“If Mick McCarthy had knocked on my door at three or four in the morning and said, ‘Let’s sort this out,’ I would have been ready immediately. Sometimes in life you have to put your hand up, even when you do not believe everything is your fault. That works both ways. Had that happened, the situation could have been resolved very quickly.”