Ireland calling Ireland! Giovanni Trapattoni hoping Manchester City star Stephen makes international comeback
Giovanni Trapattoni has urged Stephen Ireland to come out of international retirement and help fire his country to next summer's World Cup finals.
The Republic of Ireland boss has not given up hope of the Manchester City star lining up in the two-leg play-off against France next month.
Ireland has not played since leaving the squad before a match against the Czech Republic in September 2007, using the fabricated death of his grandmother as a reason.
It later transpired that his girlfriend had suffered a miscarriage and Ireland had a perfectly good reason to return home, but he has not overcome the episode.
Trapattoni told World Soccer magazine: 'If a player does not want to play for his country, there is nothing I can do.
'I believe he will regret this decision when he is older because there is a chance he could have helped his country to make the World Cup finals.
'I have had conversations with him, but he says he is happy not to play.
'My door is always open to him and some of the best champions of the past have enjoyed successful comebacks. He can be like them if he wishes.'
IrishMacca said:No he wont, he wont come back when there's a change of manager, that's not why he's not playing, it's about him not wanting to, not being bothered. He'd rather be at home or working out in the gym then on the international stage competing in the biggest football competition there is against the best players in the world. And he's said that, so no point in making something that it's not.
Ireland will regret his decision if we qualify, when he's older. And when he is older, say, 33/34 years old and Ireland qualify for the WC, and he's on poor form and at the end of his career, he'll turn around and tell us that he wants to come back. But by then it'll be too late, and he'll be told what Best was told all those years ago when he wanted to play for NI in the World Cup, he'll simply be told no thank you. That they don't need him.
And if Ireland came back, it would piss of a lot of people.
You get what's coming to you in the end Ireland will too. He'll regret his decision not to play for Ireland, when we needed him most, and when that finally hits home for him, well..by then it'll be too late, and if he decides to change his mind then, we wont need him.
..To think how many people would rip your arm off to ever get the chance to play in the WC. Pity what's football's becomming these days. Nothing like it used be.
And what will Stephen say?'I believe he will regret this decision when he is older because there is a chance he could have helped his country to make the World Cup finals.
jamiegrimble said:And what will Stephen say?'I believe he will regret this decision when he is older because there is a chance he could have helped his country to make the World Cup finals.
This will come back to haunt Stephen.All the little Stephen Irelands that flow from his Bollocks will ask.Where were you Dad when we needed you?Can you imagine what his family are going through over there?Maybe young relatives going to school. Not many footballers in History have turned their back on their Country.Hes got this one wrong IMO.