Republic of Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, has said the Roy Keane saga has been dealt with and is not going to change now.
Last night, a statement from Keane dashed hopes that he would rejoin the squad in Izumo. Keane said he did not consider the best interests of Irish football would be served by him returning to the World Cup, and he wished the team and the management all the best and said they would have his full support throughout the competition.
McCarthy has appealed for support for the squad and said support for him was irrelevant. He also insisted the past week had left him feeling drained and exhausted, but that he was not going to walk away from the job.
The Irish manager said he believed he had handled events with dignity and that he and his family were going to "tough it out". He also singled out the support from players and staff as the reason for helping him to cope.
The squad has begun its final preparations in Japan for Saturday's opening Group E match against Cameroon.
