More than two decades have passed since the Republic of Ireland's 2002 World Cup campaign unravelled in spectacular fashion, yet the Saipan affair refuses to fade from football memory. The falling-out between manager Mick McCarthy and captain Roy Keane remains one of the sport's most dramatic pre-tournament implosions — so significant that a film about the incident was released last year.

Matt Holland, a midfielder who played for Ipswich and Charlton and was part of McCarthy's squad that summer, has spoken candidly to FourFourTwo about the episode and what it meant for Ireland's chances in Japan and South Korea.

Keane's absence still lingers

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

Holland's own tournament was a study in contrasts. He found the net in Ireland's 1-1 group stage draw against Cameroon — a goal he describes as one of the defining moments of his career — before enduring the agony of missing a penalty in the last-16 shootout defeat to Spain.

A match ball and a missed penalty

"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 emotion of that goal ran deeper still because of who was watching from the stands. Holland's entire family attended, including his late father — a detail that continues to give him pause.

"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 I ever missed was the one at the World Cup."

For Ireland fans, the 2002 campaign remains a fascinating blend of pride and regret: a group that battled to the last 16 without its most influential player, left forever wondering how far Keane's presence might have taken them.