Trap reckons Ireland will regret exile

Giovanni Trapattoni has given up waiting for Stephen Ireland to rejoin his country’s World Cup qualification campaign, but he believes that the 23-year-old midfielder will eventually regret his decision.

Manchester City star Ireland declared in a Sunday newspaper that his choice to stop representing his country two years ago felt like ‘the best decision he had ever made.’

Trapattoni now reckons that it is futile trying to bring him back in the short term.

‘I know the moment I can call him and look for him and meet him, but not now, not now,’ said Trapattoni in the Irish Independent.

‘Maybe in the future, if I continue this job with Ireland, I will try again. My door is not closed.

‘It's a pity because I am sure, when he is old, he can think about it and reflect upon it and say, “Why?” He will regret it. It's a pity. He is still young, but he won't know until the future, when he is an old man, what he is missing at this moment.’

Trapattoni, speaking in Malahide as Ireland prepare for Saturday's vital World Cup qualifier against Cyprus, suggested – in jest – that the player could emulate the likes of Mike Tyson and Michael Schumacher in returning to the pinnacle of his sport in the future.

The Irish manager also stated his belief that the media saturation regarding the issue is not helpful.

‘The more you talk about it, the worse it is,’ he suggested. ‘He will read what I say in the paper and he closes up like a hedgehog. For me, it's not closed. I hope something can happen in the future. In other categories, the great champions, they go and they come back.’

‘A great example is Schumacher, and Tyson. Ok, maybe for money. Schumacher not for money. Tyson? Maybe.’

Trapattoni had more immediate problems in that both of his favoured centre-halves, Richard Dunne and Sean St Ledger, missed training yesterday.

Dunne was locked in negotiations about his proposed transfer to Aston Villa and St Ledger was forced to sit out the session with a knee injury.

Trapattoni hopes that they will be available to train today as well as Caleb Folan, who is also carrying a minor injury problem.

Trap also revealed that the motivation for revenge for the 5-2 humiliation in Nicosia three years ago can be a positive force ahead of the game.

‘I think if you are proud, it is,’ he said. ‘For our morale and trust, I think that the 5-2 is a great motivation.’