Long: No problem with me and Trap

Aidan Fitzmaurice

SHANE LONG insists there's no rift between him and Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni over Long's failure to play in last month's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Slovakia and Russia.

Trapattoni recently appeared to criticise Long over the fact that he played for West Brom against Norwich City just five days after he missed the Euro qualifier in Moscow, saying "This is Irish football".

But Long says there's no rift between him and Trapattoni.

"There's no issue with the Ireland manager," Long told the Herald as the Ireland squad arrived in Dublin to prepare for Friday's game away to Andorra.

"I'm sure he knows that I want to play for my country every time. I pulled out of the squad for a reason and I was willing to travel to Russia but he didn't want to take the risk as he had options with Kevin Doyle and Simon Cox.

"There's no issue between us, I wouldn't be here and in the squad for these games if the manager had an issue with me. He knows that I'm willing to do all I can for the team.

"I think he knows that I'd give anything to play for my country. To get the nod against Slovakia and then have to pull out the way I did was devastating for me, but I had the injury and there was nothing I could do.

"It was a muscle injury where the boss didn't want to take a chance on me."