Steve Coogan has been cast to play Mick McCarthy in the story about the fallout with Roy Keane before the 2002 World Cup. The former Celtic duo clashed resulting in the then-Manchester United star heading home.
‘Saipan’ will be a feature length film into the incident and then the fallout as the Irish skipper left the team camp.
With Coogan, famed for Alan Patridge among other roles, cast as Big Mick, Irish actor Eanna Hardwicke has been given the daunting task of portraying Keane.
It will be fascinating to see how two big personalities are portrayed and what went on behind the scenes resulting on Ireland’s Last 16 exit to Spain.
Production on the film is due to start soon with a slated release date of next summer. You have to wonder if either McCarthy or Keane are offering their insight to the making of the picture, given that it is likely still a sore spot for both.
Big Mick was part of the side that beat Dundee United in the ’88 Cup Final thanks to a late Frank McAvennie strike. It is a season that will live long in the memory with a team of winners led by the great man, Billy McNeill, that saw Celtic lift a League and Cup Double.
McCarthy joined from Man City in May 1987 in a deal worth £500,000 and the Yorkshire-born defender would win two Scottish Cups and one League title in his two years at Celtic. McCarthy made 64 appearances, scoring once for the Hoops.
Meanwhile, Keane made just 13 appearances for Celtic, scoring once before he was forced to retire. It is a shame that fans were only limited to such a small amount of games watching Keane as games like this showcase how good a player he still was, even if he was in the twilight of his career. A hip injury resulted in Keane bringing the curtain down on a glittering career that included moments of brilliance and madness. The player left Celtic helping them to a League and Cup double.
