Quinn clears air over Keane affair
The Sunderland target-man is still upset that Keane felt his omission from the Irish squad in Saipan last week was plotted by senior members of the team like Quinn, new captain Steve Staunton, and goalkeeper Alan Kelly.
Quinn said: "I was taken aback by Roy's comments that I was a coward and was doing all this to preserve my own reputation.
"After the press statement by the players was mistakenly put out during the week, I came back and spent 45 minutes with Mick, and begged him to give Roy one more chance.
"That is something I was going to keep to myself, but I want to put the record straight.
"We had to put out the press statement in support of Mick, otherwise Mick's position would have been untenable.
"But it wasn't done because the players were against Roy. The families of some players were saying: 'Get stuck into Roy'. But my family said I should do the right thing."
Quinn also revealed how he tried - in vain - to get Keane back into the squad without the former captain having to give a formal apology.
The veteran striker had worked tirelessly to make an arrangement and had thought he had succeeded in getting Keane an invite back, if he apologized to McCarthy for the comments he made at the squad's training camp in Saipan.
Quinn added: "I was in constant touch with Michael Kennedy (Keane's solicitor) and Roy was beginning to come around.
"I thought Roy was coming back.
"Michael had an offer of three private jets to get him here.
"I said all Roy had to do was make the phone call, say to Mick that he wanted to play for him in the World Cup and that last week's actions were wrong, which he'd already said in a newspaper interview.
"But at 3:35am on Wednesday, Michael rang me to say it was over. I'd lost my gamble. Michael was absolutely shattered and devastated.
"I'll never understand why Roy didn't make even a lukewarm attempt. He just wouldn't stand down, but that's Roy Keane."
