Former Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane's bust-up with manager Mick McCarthy before the 2002 World Cup has become the stuff of football folklore. That fallout is the subject of a new film - starring Steve Coogan as McCarthy and Cork native Éanna Hardwicke as Keane - which is released on Friday. However, former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Dean Kiely, who was part of the squad in 2002, said Saipan was not a "jolly", as it has sometimes been depicted. Kiely also questioned the idea that the team were left to train without footballs. Although Kiely remembers that the facilities could have been better, he said they were "definitely not Sunday league level".

Source: BBC January 23, 2026 12:06 UTC