From The Observer:
'When I am doing these things, people don't matter to me. It's a very selfish thing but that's the truth of it. I don't even think of my kids. After, I get horrendous feelings of guilt but at the time, I don't think of them at all.'
Just before the recent World Cup he was dropped as a pundit by the BBC after getting drunk on the flight over to Tokyo and reportedly insulting several of the Irish players' wives - actions which McGrath, who admits being 'very drunk', now cannot remember.
McGrath, a widely acclaimed and richly talented centre-half, had stopped drinking for 18 months. He blames his recent bout on a fear of having to address crowds and not feeling confident enough in his abilities to do the World Cup commentary stints for the BBC.
McGrath says he 'hates the person I become when I have a drink' but pledges to renew his efforts to beat the bottle.