Source: Telegraph
Stephen Ireland hits out at 'ridiculous' Republic
He insists that a campaign of hate mail and physical threats will not alter his stance on the "ridiculous" world of Irish football. [LNB]Ireland retired from the international scene at the age of 21 in September 2007 following the 'Grannygate' controversy. [LNB] Related ArticlesIreland v France: match previewTrapattoni: Ireland have nothing to fear but fearFrance told to keep coolSport on televisionHe flew home early from the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2008 qualifier in Slovakia, initially citing the death of his maternal grandmother, then his paternal grandmother, before it emerged that, in fact, his partner had suffered a miscarriage. [LNB]And he will again be absent from the Irish squad when they face France in Saturday's World Cup qualifier in Dublin. [LNB]The 23 year-old spent the final day of City's mid-season break in Abu Dhabi on Friday being driven around the Has Marina Grand Prix circuit in a fleet of Maseratis before enjoying lunch among Miss World contestants at the luxurious Has Hotel. [LNB]But while admitting he will watch Giovanni Trapattoni's team tackle the French when he returns to Manchester, Ireland has emphatically ruled out the possibility of an about-turn on his international retirement and insisted that the hate mail does not concern him. [LNB]Ireland said: "I've had a lot of that stuff, but it was bound to come. It's normal and it doesn't faze me at all. [LNB]"A lot of people say to my friends, 'Why's Stephen Ireland not playing for his country? If I ever see him, I'll do this or that to him.' [LNB]"But if I ever see them, they just bottle it. It's all talk. I've had confrontations with people who have said 'Oh, if I see him I'm going to tell him what I think' and then I see them, and they're like, 'Oh mate, right decision, don't go back and play for Ireland.' [LNB]"They're always different to my face. My family have had problems too, but it's nothing we can't deal with. [LNB]"I've left my country now, and obviously left under the wrong terms, but it's happened and, since then my life has gone really nicely. [LNB]"Even if they get to the World Cup, there's not a part of me that will think, 'That could have been me, I could have been there'."[LNB]Attempts by Trapattoni to lure Ireland back into the fold have been dismissed by the player, who insists he would not even end his international exile if his idol, Roy Keane, became manager. [LNB]He said: "No manager would sway my decision now. [LNB]"Trapattoni rang during the summer asking me if we could meet up at some stage. I said, 'Yeah, that's fine, if you want to meet we can, but nothing has changed in my mind.' But then he said, 'So it's OK if I speak to the press and tell them we chatted?' It was more about him covering his back."[LNB]Ireland has described his brief international career as a 'ticking time bomb,' but rumours that his decision to quit was based on dressing-room bullying have been dismissed. [LNB]The Cork-born player simply insists that regional rivalries in Ireland, and his dissatisfaction with levels of professionalism, are the root of his disenchantment. [LNB]He said: "All that stuff [bullying] is ridiculous and Robbie Keane contacted me saying, 'A lot of us are getting bad press, getting slated, because of all these stories that are coming out.' [LNB]"I have a great relationship with all of them. Even now, when I see the other Irish players, I always shake their hands. [LNB]"Ireland's ridiculous. It's just ridiculous. They can write for only a few days about a good result, but weeks on end about a bad result. [LNB]"When I was young, I was getting the train up to Dublin on my own playing, but not getting looked after. It was amateurish. [LNB]"Even now, I know for a fact the whole Irish set-up is exactly the same. [LNB]"They pick all the Dublin lads, one or two Cork lads, and the Cork lads are thrown on the back seat and that's basically it. It's just wrong. [LNB]"I will watch the game tonight, but I don't feel guilty. [LNB]"They have done so well without me, it wouldn't just be fair for me to turn up and start playing." [LNB]
