Keane just makes squad in time

13 April 2012

Roy Keane was today just five minutes away from missing the World Cup finals.

The Republic of Ireland captain quit international football after a training ground bust-up yesterday.

He then changed his mind after a telephone heart to heart with his family but his World Cup registration almost failed to make FIFA's midnight deadline.

But Irish officials today confirmed that Keane's inclusion was accepted at 11.55pm last night.

Irish manager Mick McCarthy had originally called Celtic's Colin Healy in as a last-minute replacement for Keane.

Healy's name was included on a final list of 23 players sent on fax by the FAI to FIFA's office in Zurich ahead of the midnight deadline for World Cup squads. Keane's U-turn, when he awoke in Saipan, prompted panic back in the FAI headquarters in Dublin.

They sent another fax to FIFA asking them to go with the original list of 23 players submitted by manager McCarthy 10 days ago.

And FIFA only confirmed that the second fax had made the midnight deadline when they called the Irish team hotel on the Pacific island of Saipan today.

An FAI source revealed: "Roy's registration made it with five minutes to spare, he was that close to missing the World Cup finals even after he changed his mind over retirement.

"We had registered Colin Healy as part of the squad when Roy pulled out, then had to send another fax saying that Keane was back in and we would go with the original list of 23 players.

"That fax made it by the skin of its teeth. If it had not arrived on time, Roy could only have joined the squad as the replacement for an injured player." Irish manager McCarthy can still make one change to his squad, on injury grounds, before the World Cup kick off a week on Friday.

But Healy has declined McCarthy's invitation to travel to the finals in Japan as a non-playing member of the Republic squad.

He could still feature if skipper Keane's old knee injury resurfaces between now and the Republic's first World Cup Group E match against Cameroon on 1 June in Niigata.

"Roy has problems with his knee and it would be remiss of us not to be aware of that," said McCarthy. "I do not know what the personal reasons are that he mentioned when he told me he was quitting on Tuesday night but I do know that his knee is a worry for him.

"It has been like that for some time and we will have to see how he gets on in the next few days before we know if he will be fit for the Cameroon match.

"What I do know is that we have a much better chance at the World Cup finals with Roy Keane here rather than at home.

"He surprised me when he told me he was quitting on Tuesday night and I am glad that he is staying now."

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Keane just makes squad in time

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