Roy Keane's representative has hinted the Celtic midfielder could have one more season left in him. The former Manchester United captain still has a year on his Parkhead contract.
But the 34-year-old Corkman cast doubts over his future by revealing he will decide after speaking with a specialist in the close season whether to carry on.
Keane has been troubled by a hip injury but will be reluctant to quit with Celtic in the Champions League. His representative, Michael Kennedy, believes a decision will be made soon after he returns from his holiday and he has given Celtic fans some hope that he will not be announcing his retirement just yet.
"Roy is contracted to them next season so I don't see why not. He hasn't spoken to the specialist yet but he will do that when he returns from his holiday," said Kennedy.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney may have stepped on to the dancefloor at David Beckham's World Cup party but the bad news for Sven-Goran Eriksson is that England's most creative player is still likely to be a month away from competitive action.
That would rule him out of England's group games, with Peter Crouch filling the role of second striker alongside Michael Owen.
The exact position will be ascertained today when Rooney undergoes a scan on his broken metatarsal. There is no doubt he has made progress, but he has been told in the last 24 hours there is only a slender chance of him appearing for England before June 24th.
He is, however, optimistic he will join the squad when they fly out on Monday week. Eriksson has promised to give him as long as he can and, though today had been billed as D-Day, there may be further X-rays ahead of Tuesday's deadline for confirming his inclusion with Fifa.
United have stressed Rooney's rehabilitation should not be stalled by the sacking of the club doctor Mike Stone on Tuesday. Stone's departure was precipitated by rows with Alex Ferguson and the assistant manager Carlos Queiroz, going back more than a year, but had nothing to do with his treatment of Rooney.
Stone, who declined to comment yesterday, is considering his legal position after joining the list of Old Trafford employees who have learned Ferguson won't tolerate anyone questioning his authority. In the space of six months Ferguson has ushered Keane toward an acrimonious exit and paved the way for Ruud van Nistelrooy to depart in rancour.
A Dutch television crew yesterday asked Van Nistelrooy if United were trying to "get rid" of him. "You could have that feeling," he said. "I don't, because it's not that certain. But what has happened is not a positive sign and I have to weigh that up."
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