KEANE EDGE FINE BY ME
O’neill: Roy’s character is the reason I took him on.. he’s been absolutely great during the five years we have been doing the job
ROY KEANE’S abrasive personality is no problem for Martin O’neill as he prepares to launch a new campaign with Ireland.
Yet the decision of a prominent squad member to step away from international football because of a bust-up with the assistant manager should be deeply worrying.
Harry Arter may not have made the most of his 13-cap Ireland career and his mixed-bag performances rarely left Irish fans purring.
But after a week where Declan Rice decided to ‘deliberate’ on his international future, another Premier League player has walked away, this time because of internal issues.
O’neill did not divulge specifics of the training ground clash with Keane, Arter and Jon Walters which then resurfaced later in the day between Keane and Arter.
But whatever words were exchanged, English-born Arter was clearly taken aback if he was willing to effectively end his Ireland career just like that.
O’neill says rows like these happen all the time in football. Indeed, he admits he was central to one or two himself – particularly in the build up to Euro 2016.
But unlike this Keane flare up, they did not result in a player going so far as to make themselves unavailable.
Yesterday, O’neill said: “When I took Roy on – I’m not saying that I knew Roy inside out as a person: I don’t – I took him on because I wanted him to display the things that he has shown over the five years. And over the five years he has been great, he has been really great.
“Listen, I’m not an apologist for him – he can speak for himself. But I don’t see that (his strong personality) as a major issue.
“I did things myself (as a player) that were provocative. I reacted but eventually you know what happens? You deal with it and get on with it, life goes on.”
Mirror Sport revealed the Keane-arter-walters bust-up a fortnight ago and in that time, O’neill has met Arter for face-to-face talks.
And the Ireland boss confirmed yesterday that the row was a factor in the midfielder’s decision to stay away – but not the only one.
Arter is eager to nail down a
regular starting spot with Cardiff City having recently joined them on a season-long loan from Bournemouth.
O’neill claims he does not feel let down by Arter, but there was plenty of reading between the lines to be done yesterday.
Not least the manager’s many references to the fact that Walters – whatever differences he may have with Keane – is here this week unlike Arter. And so in conclusion, Ireland fans should not expect to see Arter back in an Ireland shirt anytime soon – even if the door is not being shut in his face.
“You get to the stage when somebody cannot be picking and choosing,” continued O’neill.
“But I’ll have a look at it. Things have a habit of resolving themselves sometimes outside the public face of things. This is the first time in over a year that Harry Arter has played three consecutive games.
“So all of those things have a bearing. He’s got a family as well too, he’s moving house, he’s doing all of these particular things. “I don’t feel let down.
I’m an international manager, I get on with things and deal with the players that are available to me and you know what? I think I’ve talked long enough about it, I think we should talk about the players that are actually available.
“I will tell you something now – the players that are here want to play.
“The vast majority of players here that I’ve picked wanted to play for the Republic, whether they were born here or elsewhere.
“We could not have achieved what we did in getting to France (2014) and getting to the (World Cup) play-offs if we didn’t have a strong bond.
“I know you find it a cliche but it’s absolutely and utterly there.”
I did things that were provocative but you deal with it and life goes on