‘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 Ireland’s Saipan bust-up

Roy Keane, Mick McCarthy.

More than two decades on, the Republic of Ireland’s 2002 World Cup campaign remains one of the most explosive and fascinating chapters in the nation’s 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 been

Matt Holland celebrates his goal against Cameroon at the 2002 World Cup

Former Ipswich and Charlton midfielder Matt Holland was a part of McCarthy’s 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.

A film about the Saipan incident was released last year (Image credit: Getty Images)

“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 Ireland’s 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.

“We had good players and a great team spirit, and we came together to put on a decent show,” he continues. “I’ve 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 wasn’t 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.”