Kiely quits Irish scene

The former York City keeper has often had to play second fiddle to Newcastle ace Shay Given.

Kiely, who has eight caps, feels that with little chance of usurping Given in Brian Kerr`s plans, the time is right to focus on his club career.

He said: "It was an incredibly tough decision to take but I've been thinking about the situation for a while, and I believe this is in the best interests of myself and Charlton.

"Representing my country has been a tremendous honour and I`d like to thank everyone connected with the squad over the last few years.

"But this decision has not been taken out of frustration at not being Ireland's number one, but rather through a desire to remain Charlton's number one for as long as possible.

"I'm trying to be proactive by making this decision now while things are going so well, rather than wait until something goes wrong."

The decision is something of a shock, as Kiely recently said he was looking to increase his haul of caps by taking the number one jersey from Given.