Keane hints at return to the international fold

Roy Keane last night gave his clearest indication yet that he wants to return to international football with the Republic of Ireland.

The Manchester United captain retired from the international scene when he was sent home from the 2002 World Cup in the Far East following an argument with the then manager, Mick McCarthy. However, when pressed on a possible return yesterday, Keane said: "I don't know, I think it's a hard question to answer, you'd have to ask the manager I suppose."

Keane was critical of what he felt was a lack of professionalism in the build-up to the World Cup and his tournament was over before it began when he had a now well-publicised row with his manager in front of his team-mates.

However, last night, for the first time, Keane admitted that he missed playing for his country. "A lot's changed in a year," Keane said. "I've been very fortunate in that time, especially with my hip injury, that's really settled down a bit. A lot of that is down to me getting more rest.

"I still miss international football, of course I do. But I think it's important to move on. I did an interview with the United magazine a few months ago and I said I missed playing for Ireland and everyone got carried away with it.

"People talk about me coming back but I think it's important to move on. But I don't think it's as simple as me saying: 'Roy Keane says he would like to go back to international football'. That would be down to [the Ireland manager] Brian Kerr. I said when I retired, after speaking to the surgeon, that I just felt there was part of me that had unfinished business and I suppose that will always be with me.

"It would probably be unfair on Brian Kerr and the team because they seem to be going along pretty nicely. If Roy Keane was to come back it might upset things a little bit."

Kerr tried to persuade Keane to return to the side when he took over as national coach but the midfielder instead pledged to focus on his club career.

"[Making myself available again] might be positive, but then again it might be negative. Watching the team last night against Brazil, they seem to be doing very well. If I was to come back it might create a bit of a media frenzy, that might be unfair," Keane said.

But does Keane himself want to come back? "I don't know, I think it's a hard question to answer, you'd have to ask the manager I suppose," he said. "I think it would be hard regarding friendly matches. I'll be 33 in August, the first World Cup qualifier is in September, you're looking at 10 matches here. I think it might be unfair on the team because if I was to come back it would have to be just qualifying matches ­ I think when you're a manager you're trying to get stability.

"I've always said I miss international matches, I said that after the fiasco of the World Cup. But we could be here all day talking about it, I'm pretty much focused on Manchester United. But there will always be that part of me that feels there is unfinished business."