Bertie Ahern has opened up about his regrets over Ireland's 2002 World Cup campaign, admitting we may have squandered our "best opportunity" to go deep into an international tournament after Roy Keane's infamous Saipan exit.
The former Taoiseach said he would happily have acted as an intermediary in the spat between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy ahead of the Japan/South Korea World Cup, but added: "At the end of the day, it didn't prove possible."
Bertie was frank today as he discussed Ireland's missed opportunity in 2002 – when we made it to the second round despite Keane's absence before falling on penalties to Spain.
"We certainly had the ability to get to the quarter-final. And the way it played out, we could have," he told Pat Kenny on Newstalk.
"It was our best opportunity."
The 69-year-old, who served as Taoiseach between 1997 and 2008, said Ireland "didn't seem like the most organised set-up on earth" ahead of the World Cup.
He recalled meeting the team at the airport before they departed for Saipan, where he found Keane sitting on the steps, "away from the rest of the panel."
"It is true he wasn't happy in the airport," said Bertie of the incident.
The Dubliner said Manchester Utd – Keane's club at the time – and his agent did contact him seeking his services as a mediator amid the conflict.
"There was a period of about 48 hours where it seemed it might have been possible to try and arbitrate something and calm it down. But at the end of the day, it didn’t prove possible."
As well as giving his two cents on the events of 2002, Bertie also offered a few opinions on Ireland's current set-up under new manager Stephen Kenny – with some stinging words for the current playing squad.
He said: "We’re not at the level that we were from the mid-80s up until 2002.
"Even though they’re trying their best, we’re not there."
Of Kenny, he said: "I think he’s a good guy. He’s a hard game. This year is one year we want to forget, for lots of reasons.
"When you go through so many matches that you don’t perform well, and there’s 11 hours of football now and not one goal. We don’t have a poacher or a skilful person like Robbie Keane, we don’t have a Niall Quinn."
