Matt Holland wonders what Ireland could have achieved at 2002 World Cup had Roy Keane stayed

More than two decades after Roy Keane’s infamous walkout from Ireland’s 2002 World Cup camp in Saipan, former midfielder Matt Holland has opened up on what the squad lost — and what they still managed to achieve without their captain.

“At that time, Roy was the one player every country at the World Cup would have picked from our squad,” Holland told FourFourTwo. “So I do sometimes wonder what we could have achieved had he stayed, but we gave a good account of ourselves regardless.”

The fallout between Keane and manager Mick McCarthy dominated headlines at the time and has never truly left the public consciousness — a film about the bust-up was released last year. For the players who lived through it, the memories remain sharp.

Holland’s own tournament was a study in contrasts. The former Ipswich and Charlton midfielder scored in Ireland’s 1-1 group-stage draw against Cameroon, only to miss from the spot in the last-16 penalty shootout defeat to Spain.

“We had good players and a great team spirit, and we came together to put on a decent show,” he said. “I’ve actually still got the match ball from the Cameroon game. Our physio, Mick Byrne, nicked it at the end, put it under his jersey and gave it to me in the dressing room. To play in a World Cup was unbelievable, but to score was incredible.”

The goal carried particular emotional weight. Holland’s family, including his late father, were in the stands in South Korea to witness it.

“My whole family was there, including my late dad. I still get goosebumps when I think about it,” he said. “I also often think about that missed penalty. I wasn’t a regular penalty taker and only took eight in my career — all in shootouts — but the only one that I ever missed was the one at the World Cup.”

Ireland ultimately exited at the last-16 stage, beaten on penalties by Spain after a 1-1 draw. The question of how far Keane’s presence might have taken them remains, more than 20 years on, one of Irish football’s great what-ifs.