FAI draw line under controversy

SOCCER/The Stephen Ireland saga: Emmet Maloneon the background and apparent conclusion to an embarrassing episode

Stephen Ireland appeared to have salvaged his international career last night, with Steve Staunton apparently accepting the apology he has offered for lying about his reasons for flying home from Bratislava and missing Wednesday's game against the Czech Republic - the manager concluding that it is in everybody's interests simply to move on.

The 21-year-old was obliged to phone both Staunton and the FAI chief executive, John Delaney, yesterday morning after being caught out for the second time in a lie relating to the death of a grandmother.

He said the stories had been the result of poor judgement at a time when he was upset because of his girlfriend having suffered a miscarriage.

In a subsequent statement issued through his club, Manchester City, which had given him compassionate leave this week in the belief that a grandmother of his had died, the Corkman apologised to all of those he had misled, including everyone associated with the national team as well as its supporters.

The FAI, who paid something between €10,000 and €20,000 to fly him on a private jet from Bratislava, subsequently issued a statement of their own, observing that they had acted in what they deemed the best interests of the player at all times and expressing the belief that neither Ireland nor his girlfriend had realised the foolishness of the deception they had embarked upon.

Staunton, meanwhile, was quoted as rather generously accepting the midfielder's explanation.

"I welcome Stephen Ireland's clarification of the situation," he said. "He is a player who loves playing for his country and unfortunately made a poor judgement call because of the traumatic circumstances he found himself in. I hope he can now put this behind him and learn from it because he is a young player with a tremendous future in the game."

Similarly the tone of Sven Goran Eriksson's response suggested that the matter will quickly be allowed to rest.

"I'm disappointed with Stephen, he's made a stupid mistake but I won't crucify him over it," said the former England boss.

"I'll speak to him tomorrow in training. If he's okay he'll probably take his place in some part of the game on Sunday.

"Stephen Ireland is a fantastic football player, he's young, maybe he's had some problems now, but I like him - both as a person and a footballer."

When asked if he thought Ireland still had an international future, Eriksson replied, "Absolutely. Footballwise, for sure he has an international future. He's a fantastic midfielder, he can play left, right or centre and he's very young."

Yesterday's statement was prompted by the fact that the two women Ireland had at different times claimed to be dead made contact through their solicitors with the those papers that named them in stories connected with the player.

On Saturday night, after the initial contact with his girlfriend, Ireland had told the FAI that Patricia Tallon, his maternal grandmother, was dead.

But by late on Sunday night it was apparent that this was not so, and after Staunton contacted him to clarify the matter, Ireland said there had been a mix-up and that Brenda Kitchener it was who had died.

This name was subsequently carried in a number of publications despite considerable scepticism within sections of the Irish media in Prague that the Corkman could have been told almost immediately after the Slovakia game that his grandmother was dead and still have been mistaken as to the woman's identity as he prepared to fly home at 11am the following day.

It is also curious that when plugging his Liveline programme before the lunchtime news yesterday, Joe Duffy said that the grandmother Ireland first suggested had died, the one who had played a prominent part in his upbringing from the age of five, Patricia Tallon, would explain during the show that the player had been the victim of a "hoax" in relation to the entire incident.

By the time the programme went on air the statement had been issued by City and in the end no mention whatsoever was made of the story.

It is not the first time Ireland has been embroiled in controversy where his international career is concerned.

He fell out with the last national manager, Brian Kerr, who, he believed, had treated him badly during an underage tournament staged in his native Cork.

When the Dubliner subsequently went on to become manager of the senior team, the player said that he would not play for him.

For Staunton, though, he has been a tremendous success, scoring four goals in six games, two of them winners in European Championship qualifying ties, since making his debut in the manager's first match in charge, the 3-0 win over Sweden in March of last year.

He would probably have had another couple of caps by now but for the fact that he missed the trip to the United States at the start of the summer, apparently because he was to be best man at a relative's wedding in Australia.

Eriksson, meanwhile, has paid tribute to Richard Dunne, who after playing every minute of every City game in all competitions last season will miss the visit of Aston Villa because of suspension.

"Richard has had a remarkable record of consecutive games on which I congratulate him," said the Swede.

"Playing in the position he does with the commitment he shows, that is a great achievement.

"He is a tough guy who is approaching the top of his game," continued the City boss. "Richard is in the very top bracket of central defenders playing in the Premier League.

"If I compare him now with the player I first saw four or five years ago, he is for me a much, much better player. Back then I didn't like him as a player but now I like him very much.

"He can do everything. Richard is a good header of the ball, he is strong, he is a rather good passer when on the ball and is quick, quicker than you think.

"It would be nice to see what would happen if he was English though perhaps you should not say that to an Irishman.

"I think he would be a challenge to all the other central defenders."