MARTIN O’NEILL HAS opened the door for Stephen Ireland to make a shock return to international football.

After bringing one Corkman back into the fold as his assistant, the new manager suggested that Ireland could follow Roy Keane and make a comeback.

The 27-year-old hasn’t played since his high-profile exit in 2007.

But after forcing his way back into Stoke’s first team, he hinted that he is ready for a fresh start with the national side.

O’Neill said: “I really do have a genuinely open mind. I will get around to watching him play obviously. He’s playing regularly now and apparently doing very well.

“I haven’t had a chance to see him play live but that will rectify itself in no time at all.

“If Roy can come back, surely it’s open for anyone.”

Ireland is anxious to meet the new management for “a chat” about his prospects and O’Neill said he will think about the best way to approach any international recall.

It shouldn’t be mind-boggling. It should be relatively straightforward. If people want to play for a start, that helps immensely.

“If you going to have to force people to play then that might become a different issue, but I’ll see.”

The pair nearly crossed paths at Aston Villa but O’Neill departed his managerial post days before Ireland completed his move from Manchester City in August 2010.

“That’s a long story,” O’Neill explained. “The answer is that James Milner was going to Manchester City. Obviously I wanted James to stay at the time but James felt that Manchester City was the place for him to go to.

“I wanted him to stay and there was talk of Stephen coming down as a part-exchange.

“As it turned out anyway, I was gone before any of those transactions took place.”

Keane on bibs and balls duty during O’Neill’s first day on the training ground
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