COME BACK PLEASE

Brian Kerr, the new Ireland manager, held talks with Roy Keane, the former
Ireland captain, in England yesterday to try to determine whether the midfield
player would return to play for his country.
 

Kerr flew from Dublin to Manchester in the morning and spent several hours
with the Manchester United player during the afternoon after he had finished
training. It is believed that the discussions were frank yet amicable, with Kerr
hoping that Keane will change his mind.

However, Kerr wants a decision sooner rather than later. He has not named
Keane in the squad for the friendly against Scotland in Glasgow on
Wednesday but needs to know of his availability for the resumption of
Ireland's European Championship qualifying programme. They visit Georgia
late next month and then play Albania in Tirana.

"It needs to be resolved in some way before those games," Kerr said last
weekend.

Sources close to Keane expect him to listen to Kerr's reasoning and then
discuss the matter further with members of his family, Michael Kennedy, his
adviser, and Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager. Kerr would prefer a
decision, at the latest, before the end of next week.