Roy Keane was the one player every country at the World Cup would have picked from our squad, so I do wonder what we could have achieved had he stayed in 2002 Matt Holland opens up on Irelands Saipan bust-up

Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterMore than two decades on, the Republic of Irelands 2002 World Cup campaign remains one of the most explosive and fascinating chapters in the nations footballing history.The high-profile fallout between manager Mick McCarthy and captain Roy Keane was headline news at the time and continues to captivate to this day, with a movie on the bust-up being released last year.The saga completely overshadowed the tournament and divided fans opinion, while for those in the dressing room at the time, the memories remain vivid.Matt Holland on Saipan and what might have beenFormer Ipswich and Charlton midfielder Matt Holland was a part of McCarthys squad in 2002 and he still recalls the tension of that incident, plus the pride of representing his country on the world stage.At that time, Roy was the one player every country at the World Cup would have picked from our squad, he recalls to FourFourTwo. You may like 'Roy Keane leaving Saipan in 2002 galvanised us but Mick McCarthy wasn't right to question him in front of the squad' Ex-Republic of Ireland international Clinton Morrison gives first-hand account of famous 2002 World Cup fallout 'We were alongside Maldini, Zola, Baresi - how did we even have a chance?' Terry Phelan on World Cup 94 Mick McCarthy launches sweary rant about his 'Saipan' depiction claiming he walked out after 20 minutes So I do sometimes wonder what we could have achieved had he stayed, but we gave a good account of ourselves regardless.In keeping with the rollercoaster theme of Irelands tournament, Holland himself had plenty of highs and lows that summer, scoring in the 1-1 group stage draw against Cameroon, before missing from the spot in the last-16 penalty shootout against Spain.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.We had good players and a great team spirit, and we came together to put on a decent show, he continues. Ive actually still got the match ball from the Cameroon game.Our physio, Mick Byrne, nicked it at the end, put it under his jersey and gave it to me in the dressing room. To play in a World Cup was unbelievable, but to score was incredible.For Holland, the emotional weight of that moment was heightened by the presence of his family in the stands, including his late father.My whole family was there, including my late dad. I still get goosebumps when I think about it. I also often think about that missed penalty.I wasnt a regular penalty taker and only took eight in my career all in shootouts but the only one that I ever missed was the one at the World Cup.TOPICSRepublic of IrelandWorld CupJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromSimon Yaffe