FORMER Republic of Ireland defender Damien Delaney has announced his retirement from the international scene but insists his decision is not based on his history with Roy Keane.
Delaney was left out of Martin O’Neill’s latest squad, which was announced on Tuesday, despite being one of few Irish centre-halves playing regularly in the Premier League.
The 34-year-old subsequently released a statement via his Instagram account, confirming that he is no longer available for selection for Ireland and insinuating that his age is the reason for his international retirement, not Keane.
Keane managed Delaney at Ipswich and the two crossed swords when the latter blamed his ‘unreasonable manager’ in court when being asked to explain himself after receiving a speeding ticket.
Delaney, who was restricted to just nine caps for Ireland, was running late for training at the time of his speeding ticket, and Keane had installed a wages fine policy for any player who did not make his sessions on time.
However, the pair have since buried the hatchet – according to Delaney – who met and shook the hand of his fellow Cork native at a game involving their hometown club earlier this year.
In his statement, Delaney said: “I just want to clarify my position with regards to the Ireland national team and my omission from the current squad. I have no issue with Roy Keane and shook his hand this summer at a Cork City European match.
“I know that at the age of 34 the future of Irish football does not lie with me, the rigours of Premier League football and the 24/7 dedication required takes its toll so I look on the international break as a chance to recover.”
The former Leicester, Hull and Queens Park Rangers defender went on to give his thoughts on how Ireland can build from youth to become regular qualifiers for major tournaments again. See the full statement below.
