Doyle can return for Republic, says Tardelli

The 29-year-old Wolves frontman – understood to be a target for Celtic manager Neil Lennon – was devastated to learn in a text message at the weekend that he had not been included in the final 23 for tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier in Sweden and Tuesday’s clash with Austria.

Doyle, whose late goal in the first game of the campaign clinched a 2-1 win in Kazakhstan, only learned he would not be joining up when he checked his phone after coming off the pitch following Wolves’ 2-1 victory over Bristol City on Saturday.

Assistant manager Tardelli said: “We love all the players who have given us many successes and all players deserve the same things. The boss [Giovanni Trapattoni] can’t call all the players. But for us, it’s not finished, the time for Kevin Doyle. We know he is a good player and we know in the future, it is possible for him to come back.

“We love Kevin Doyle like we love all the players, but we need sometimes to choose the right players for the Irish team.”

Trapattoni included Doyle in his initial 29-man squad, but when whittling it down at the weekend he was one of six men placed on stand-by, with skipper Robbie Keane, Shane Long, Jon Walters, Simon Cox and newcomer Conor Sammon representing the striking options for the two games.

Doyle expressed his disappointment in an interview with his club’s official website, www.wolves.co.uk. “I was very disappointed to come in after the game to a text message saying I wasn’t to travel to Ireland to join up with the squad,” he said.

“I have been in every squad when I have been fit for seven-and-a-half years, so it was disappointing. I thought I might get a phone call, but it wasn’t to be and I haven’t spoken to the manager about it. Maybe he will speak to me about it in the future and for now, I just have to get on with it.”