A phone call with Declan Rice left Mick McCarthy snarling down the phone at the former Ireland star as months of frustration came to a boiling point.
Following a snubbed call-up, the West Ham starlet called then Ireland boss McCarthy to tell him he's switching allegiance to England - a decision McCarthy ultimately knew was coming.
The London-born midfielder had earned himself three caps in Green in the summer of 2018 before taking the hiatus to mull over his future after England boss Gareth Southgate came calling.
And when the time came, McCarthy admits that his 'bitter' response to Rice's decision was him 'having a dig' at the youngster - who's gone on to pick up 13 caps with the Three Lions since.
McCarthy told Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast : "It was a blow. I kind of knew from meeting him he wasn't going to join us, I just got that feeling so it was no surprise when he rang me to tell me.
"Of course I felt a bit bitter and twisted but that's because we’d just lost a good player. I knew it would have made a difference to the team.
"I’d been waiting for the response from December when I met Declan. I’d been in touch and I’d been in touch and I kept in touch. I just knew - the longer it goes on this is not happening.
"So when it finally did happen I had a bit of a snarl at him down the phone and very abrupt I was. It wasn't oh, thanks for letting me know good luck with that, I hope it goes well for you.
"It was - I don’t know exactly what it was but it was the opposite of that…"
He told Paddy Power: "But you know there's the other part of that - if they don’t want to play for us then don’t play. Because we’ve always had a team where everybody's been tooth and nail wanting to play and to give everything for Ireland and that's what you need.
"But it’s his choice. I was having a dig really and that's not for me to do. It was because I was upset about it.
"I was more upset because I’d known. I’d known since I met him it wasn't going to happen and I’d been fending off these bloody stupid questions from journalists. That's all it had been about. All the time.
"I thought I've spent months here answering stupid bloody questions. Now I'm getting the answer that I knew already. I was frustrated".
