Finnan Announces International Retirement

At 31 years old, Steve Finnan has announced he is to retire from the Irish national scene.

Given that the only major tournament we’ve featured in in recent years is the World Cup in 2002, I can’t really blame him. Ireland failed to make the grade for Germany 2006 and under Steve Staunton failed to make the cut for Euro 2008.

Steve will be 34 come the World Cup in 2010 and he reckons that now is the right time to step down, even if Ireland make it through their tough qualifying group for 2010. Finnan has picked up 50 caps while playing for Ireland.

In an interview this morning, Finnan leaves the Irish fold with heavy criticism of former Irish manager Brian Kerr who he says preferred Steven Carr to himself in right back and if there was a game on he was usually played out of position or not at all, not giving him a fair crack of the whip under the Kerr regime.

It means more of a concentration on his role at Anfield, which will hopefully go on for some time.

Popularity: 15% [?]