Quinn was talking about Raheem Sterling’s recent fatigue issues when he brought up Saipan.
Niall Quinn feels that England need to tread carefully regarding Raheem Sterling’s fatigue issues or risk a Roy Keane-style debacle down the line.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Quinn said that squad unity can be affected if a player is seen to be getting special treatment and cited the example of Keane missing the second leg of the World Cup play-off against Iran in 2002.
Keane, of course, would leave the Irish squad prior to the World Cup after a serious bust-up with manager Mick McCarthy.
“They have to sort the situation out rather than let it fester,” Quinn said.
“We had a similar situation in a national team get-together – the World Cup play-off of 2002.
“Our best player, Roy Keane, played the first game, was fatigued and went home for the second one.
“It never sat well (with the rest of the squad), a wedge started and everybody in Ireland knows how that ended up.”
Credit: Nick Royle/Setanta Sports
