Keane finally pushes McCarthy too far

Roy Keane's first encounter with international football ended with him being sent home from an Under-15 trial for being too small. Yesterday, in what seems the final episode of his Ireland career, the Republic's captain was sent home from the World Cup for being arguably too big.

A day after persuading him to withdraw his threat to quit the squad in the wake of a training-ground outburst about what Keane saw as lax preparations for the tournament, the Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, enraged by Keane's ferocious and continuing criticism in the media and in a clear-the-air team meeting, sacked his captain and only world-class player.

Both McCarthy and the Football Association of Ireland identified an interview Keane had given to the Irish Times as the catalyst for one of the most dramatic days in the country's football history. It was, in the words of the FAI's treasurer, John Delaney: "a bridge too far" even for one of the best midfielders in the world. Steve Staunton will captain the Republic in his third World Cup finals but it is unlikely McCarthy will be able to draft in a replacement for Keane since the withdrawal is not through injury.

In the fatal interview Keane, who confirmed he would be retiring from international football after the tournament, and who now stands to lose a £500,000 sposorship deal with a soft drinks company, attacked the decision to fly 17 hours to the Pacific island of Saipan, which possessed one football pitch, especially built for the team's arrival, but which lacked changing facilities. The Irish team arrived to be greeted with no available kit and a rock-hard pitch which aggravated Keane's knee complaint. The decision not to use the goalkeepers in a five-a-side game provoked his initial offer to quit which was rescinded after talks involving his club manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I cannot imagine any country in the world who are worse off than us, playing on something like that," the Manchester United captain said. "This has been going on for years in terms of training facilities and travel arrangements. If I opened my mouth every time something went wrong, I'd need my own newspaper."

In a press conference at the FAI's headquarters in Dublin, Delaney defended McCarthy from accusations made by Keane's friend and biographer, Eamon Dunphy, that he had been guilty of a "dramatic failure of management" by allowing a personal dispute with his captain to boil out of control.

"The tensions go deeper than what happened yesterday," Delaney said. "There has always been tensions between Roy and people he doesn't like in the Irish squad but this has been a bridge too far.

"Two days ago, Roy said he wanted to go. Then an hour and a half later he wanted to come back and then following many phone calls between Michael Kennedy (Keane's solicitor), Alex Ferguson, myself and Mick McCarthy's agent, a decision was reached with five minutes to go that Roy would stay. Then (in the Irish Times) Roy pushed the boat out again too strongly for both the players and the management. Team morale is paramount."

McCarthy has long endured an uneasy relationship with his captain, who refused to attend his testimonial and who has frequently attacked the quality of the training facilities in Dublin, describing them as "abysmal for as long as I can remember".

When in the Netherlands for a World Cup qualifier, Keane was horrified when told that the pre-match meal would be a choice of ham or cheese sandwiches rather than the more usual cereal, pasta and fruit. Nevertheless, McCarthy, who unlike Keane, considered the time in Saipan to be essentially "rest and recreation" before the squad moved on to Japan, was taken aback by the ferocity of Keane's attack.

"It became a slanging match," he said. "I cannot and will not tolerate being spoken to with that level of abuse, so I sent him home. He is one of the best players in the world but he is a disruptive influence.

"Sometimes Roy sees the world through his eyes only. I am tired of it. When he wanted to go home the other day, he said it was for 'personal reasons'. I said: 'Is it me? Is it the training ground? Is it the flight? Is it the media circus at the airport?' But he said it was none of these things. He said: 'It's just me'."

Dunphy, Keane's closest friend in the media, argued his departure had more to do with McCarthy than the Ireland captain. "It's a dreadful failure of management that this was allowed to get to this stage," he said. "He was expecting from the football authorities here the same kind of standards he displays on the pitch. Roy is always outspoken and it doesn't give Sir Alex Ferguson a problem when he identifies what's wrong at Old Trafford. If he's good enough for Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough, who were two of the greatest managers of all time, he should be good enough for Mick McCarthy.

"There have been times when McCarthy could have protected Keane better, notably when he was not at Sunderland for Niall Quinn's testimonial and he exposed Roy to a hostile press unfairly because he was in Manchester receiving treatment for his knee injury.

"There is a long history between them and this, remember, is the manager who caused Denis Irwin, Paul McGrath and John Aldridge to retire from international football. Roy Keane is fourth on the list. Mr McCarthy seems to have a knack of losing people."

Keane crisis: How the Irish camp was torn apart on a day of high drama

Roy Keane: Former Republic of Ireland captain

"I've basically had enough of certain things. You've seen the training pitch and I'm not being a prima donna. Training pitch, travel arrangements, getting through the airport when we were leaving, it's the combination of things. I can't imagine any other country, countries in the world who are far worse off than us, playing on something like that. But you know, we're the Irish team, it's a laugh and a joke. We shouldn't expect too much."

Steve Staunton: Senior Ireland player and Keane's replacement as captain

"It was unacceptable. I've never witnessed anything like it in my life and there is a line, you can't cross it and unfortunately Roy has crossed it. We'll do what we've been doing for the last week. We've got a great set of lads."

Mick McCarthy: Republic of Ireland manager

"We all know Roy's ability but, when he makes a public and open show of his opinions and makes such public criticism, everybody starts talking about it. I cannot and will not tolerate being spoken to with that level of abuse being thrown at me so I sent him home. I am sad to lose him. As a player he is absolutely brilliant. He is one of the best in the world."

John Delaney: Treasurer of the Football Association of Ireland

"Mick got us qualification for the World Cup in one of the most difficult groups, with Holland and Portugal. Some may say Roy Keane got us there, others would say Shay Given or Steve Staunton ­ but Mick McCarthy is the manager and the FAI fully stand by the decision."

Eamon Dunphy: Keane's biographer and former Ireland player

"The management couldn't take the criticism, which was well deserved, and this is disastrous. It's bad news for Irish soccer and the morale of the team will suffer. Their ability to accomplish the task is diminished and in whose interest this is, I'm not sure."

Jack Charlton: Former Ireland manager

"I think when Roy sits down and thinks about what he's done he will have a few regrets. You don't walk out on a World Cup. He's one of the best players in the world and he should be at the finals. He had his complaints about their preparations but that has nothing to do with the players. Roy's made a mistake and has got to live with the consequences."

Francis-Walsh Kemmis: Ireland supporter preparing to fly to Japan this weekend

"I felt like someone had died when I first heard the news."