Roy Keane has kept it blunt and honest in his latest assessment of the infamous Saipan incident from 2002.
As everyone and their dog is aware, the Corkman put himself right in the spotlight for walking out on Ireland ahead of the 2002 World Cup.
The national team skipper had a major falling-out with then-manager Mick McCarthy, with the regrettable episode sitting up among one of the most infamous moments in Irish football.
The episode is well known for any Irish sports fan but Keane still has plenty to say on the matter some 21 years later.
The Manchester United star was unhappy with the set-up over in Japan but his main problem with McCarthy was being questioned over his commitment to the green jersey.
‘The issue is when there was a meeting called a couple of days later and I was questioned about missing a game, the playoff game [against Iran],’ Keane told the Stick to Football podcast.
‘Basically, I was told you could have played in that game. I was injured. Of course, I was injured. We’ve all missed matches and we all have guilt. Sometimes, for missing games, you think, could I have played.
‘We’ve all played games we shouldn’t have played, I’ve taken a chance on an injury.
‘Why someone would be throwing that at me on the eve of the World Cup… if they had issues with me about my commitment, shall we say, why not bring it up a month earlier?
”There were media commitments and I said one or two things I wasn’t happy with and Mick was frustrated I suppose about one or two aspects of things I said.
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‘Then in this team meeting, Mick was talking about… you don’t respect me. And I said “I don’t respect you”. But this was after the accusations.
‘I just didn’t respect him…’
I said, well I’m not playing for you. I’m playing for my country. Very simple. But he said “if you don’t respect me how can you play for me”. And I said, “alright I won’t”.
‘You can stick your World Cup. I have no regrets about it.’
‘I know it takes two to tango and I could sit in front of Mick now and say this is my point. And he might say you were causing me problems. But ultimately, I was there to help the team and I think I was doing that.
‘Regrets? None. I didn’t lose a wink of sleep over it.
‘When you come back, it’s more upsetting for the people around you. They take the hit, my parents.’