The Star newspaper today reports that Roy Keane will return to the Republic of Ireland squad for the remainder of the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign. Keane has not yet publicly said if he will return to play for his country after being kicked out of the squad on the eve of last year's World Cup finals. However, the tabloid newspaper claims that sources close to the Cork man have revealed that he is willing to go against the wishes of Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson to wear the green jersey again - beginning with the matches away to Georgia (March 29) and Albania (April 2).
The report claims that Keane's family are anxious that he return to the international fold as they fear a backlash and the Cork man has also been swayed by the fact that Brian Kerr’s team have just six games left in the qualifying series. But the paper also reports that Keane will not be available for friendlies and will retire for good from international soccer at the end of the qualifying series.
Kerr was evasive once again when yesterday questioned on Keane’s international future. Kerr, preparing for Wednesday's friendly with Scotland at Hampden Park, told reporters at the squad’s base in Kilmarnock: "I had a meeting as you and everybody else in the world seems to know about and until we've come to the end of that process, I won't talk about it."
Filed by James Boylan.
