There were doubts that Roy Keane would ever play for Ireland again following his infamous dispute with Mick McCarthy at the 2002 World Cup.
Keane was sent home from Japan after a stormy meeting with McCarthy and other players, having complained about Ireland’s training facilities and preparations for the tournament.
But two years later, and with McCarthy no longer in charge, Keane returned to the international stage.
Qualifying for the 2006 World Cup was the target and Keane tried his utmost to carry his country to the tournament in Germany.
It would have been a fitting way for Keane to right the wrongs of the previous World Cup.
With three games to go, Ireland - now managed by Brian Kerr - were in a good position to qualify. If they could avoid defeat against France, a play-off spot would have been the minimum expectation.
Indeed, a 0-0 draw in Paris 11 months earlier would have given Ireland the confidence they needed in the return meeting.
Yet the game on September 7, 2005 didn’t go Ireland’s way, and it would prove to be Keane’s final game for Ireland.
Ireland were beaten 1-0
Henry’s goal in the 67th minute sealed a 1-0 win for France, handing a massive blow to Ireland’s World Cup hopes.
Keane produced a superb display
While a disappointing evening for the Boys in Green, it’s worth remembering just how impressive Keane was in the defeat.
He gave a lesson in how to play defensive midfield, constantly flinging himself into tackles and being the focal point of everything Ireland did.
Keane managed to stand out despite being in a midfield battle against titans of the game in Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira.
Check out his individual highlights below.
It would be Keane's final Ireland game
Keane probably doesn’t get as much love as he deserves when we consider the best midfielders of his generation.
His performance against France was recognised by the media, though.
The BBC labelled him as ‘far and away the Republic’s best player on the night.’
However, he couldn’t quite contain himself and a yellow card picked up for a vigorous challenge on Claude Makelele resulted in a booking that would rule him out of France’s next game against Cyprus.
Ireland won that game, but Keane missed the final group fixture against Switzerland after suffering an injury while playing for Manchester United.
Ireland drew 0-0, missed out on the World Cup, and Keane would never play for them again.