Manchester United defender John O'Shea believes his Old Trafford team-mate Roy Keane wants to play for the Republic of Ireland again.
Keane has been in dispute with his country since his bust-up with former Republic boss Mick McCarthy. But with the manager now departed, the door appears open for the former captain to return from his international exile when he is fit again in the new year.
Nobody knows if Keane will be back to lead his country in the Euro 2004 qualifying double-header in Georgia and Albania. But O'Shea, in Athens for Wednesday's friendly against Greece, hopes there is every chance it will happen.
"Every time Roy has played for his country he has given everything - and I am sure he would love to come back and do a job for Ireland," said O'Shea.
"It remains to be seen. But I hope Roy comes back and I think he will come back.
"Roy has been a fantastic inspiration for me, and we are missing him terribly at the club now. He has had a tough time with his hip injury, and we don't know when he'll be back. But we need him back sooner rather than later.
"When I first figured in the Republic of Ireland reckoning both Roy and Denis Irwin were great inspirations for me. They showed in their performances for their country how they went about it - they gave everything when they played with their country," O'Shea said.
"When I first started training with them I realised you need to have a very high standard and you can't afford to let your levels drop; otherwise you'll be out of the team."
It has been more than a year since O'Shea won his first cap for his country. But he has been in excellent form for United this season and is at last set to make his long overdue second appearance in the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium tomorrow night.
PA