KEVIN DOYLE SAYS he received confirmation that he wasn’t included in Ireland’s Euro 2016 squad on the news, rather than being told by manager Martin O’Neill.
The Colorado Rapids striker was named in the extended panel for the recent friendlies against Netherlands and Belarus but was told to remain in America on standby.
After suffering a nasty leg injury against Switzerland in March, Doyle’s chances of making O’Neill’s final squad were slim but he has vented his frustration at the manager’s handling of the situation.
Writing in the first of his Euro 2016 columns for The Sunday World, Doyle revealed he twice had his bags packed ‘and kissed the family goodbye’ to come home only for O’Neill to change his mind at the last minute.
“It may have been better if the announcement of the final 23-man squad was made a week previously as they would have put the players, fans and journalists out of their misery,” he wrote.
“I don’t think there were any great shocks in the final panel that was confirmed just before the deadline on Tuesday, so the squad could have been announced earlier and those of us who missed out placed on standby in case of injuries.
““Every manager does things differently, it’s a tough job that never pleases everybody and this manager sees this as a way of keeping people on their toes.”
While the 32-year-old admits he would have loved a run out at his old stomping ground, Turner’s Cross, Doyle concedes it wasn’t to be.
“It came as no major surprise to me when I missed out on a place in the Irish Euro 2016 squad,” he wrote.
“To be honest, I felt my chances all along were 50/50 to make the final 23, especially after getting injured early on in my last international start and my first for a long time back in March.
“After being included in the initial squad, I was still holding out hope that I might sneak one of the last places up for grabs and thought my international record might give me a chance after getting myself back to full fitness and playing regularly in recent weeks.
“In the end, I found out who was in the squad by watching the news as it was confirmed like everyone else and it certainly added drama to the proceedings.”
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