Denis Irwin today announced he has quit international football after winning 56 caps for the Republic of Ireland. The Manchester United defender admitted he was retiring because he wanted to spend more time with his family. Mick McCarthy was very understanding about it, and asked the 34-year-old if he would stand by in case of an emergency, but Irwin declined, saying he wanted to make a clean break. Irwin said; "I had a great time under Jack Charlton and Mick McCarthy’s management. I enjoyed my stint playing for my country. It’s a terrific honour and I will miss it. But now is the best time to go."
Irwin added, "I will be 37 when the next major finals come around and that's if Ireland qualify. Now is the best time to go. I've found in the past few years that I'm away from home a lot more due to the increasing number of games United are playing in Europe and more and more internationals." Irwin made his senior international debut on September 12, 1990 in a 1-0 friendly win against Morocco at Dalymount Park, having joined United from Oldham Athletic in July of that year. He was the first player to be capped at six levels, Under-14, Under-16, Youth, Under-21, 'B' and Senior. His last cap came in November in the goalless draw with Turkey in Bursa.
