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There has previously been no love lost between the pair. INPHO
Don't Mention the War

Peace may be breaking out in one of Irish football's most famous feuds

The pair famously traded barbs in their autobiographies.

JASON MCATEER SAYS, now that he’s “a little older and wiser,” he has some sympathy for Roy Keane over what happened in Saipan.

In his autobiography, McAteer was very critical of the now-Ireland assistant manager’s exit from a training camp ahead of the 2002 World Cup, going as far as hinting that Keane was looking for an excuse to not play in the tournament.

In his own autobiography, Keane painted McAteer as foolish and the pair clashed on the pitch too when McAteer mocked the Cork man following a sending off.

However, it now appears the former Liverpool player has softened his stance on Saipan, telling BetSafe:

“[Saipan], we all see it through different eyes, I see it through my eyes and my take on it is completely different from say Gary Breen’s or Shay Given’s or Gary Kelly’s.

“We all see it through our own eyes; Roy will see it through his and he will stand by his decision.

As I’ve got older and a bit wiser, more forgiving probably, there’s a slight sympathy towards Roy in that circumstance when I look back.

“Arguably he was the best midfielder in the world at the time.”

You can see the full video here:

Betsafe / YouTube

  • As proud Energy Partner to the FAI, SSE Airtricity have given us a pair of tickets to the sold-out Republic of Ireland vs Denmark game to give away. You’ll watch the Boys in Green (hopefully) seal World Cup qualification from your premium level seats after enjoying food and refreshments in the Vavasour Suite before the match. To enter simply email competitions@the42.ie with your score prediction for the away leg and we’ll pick a winner from the correct entries on Sunday morning.

 

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