Marco Tardelli has defended the decision to contact Kevin Doyle via text message, rather than with a phone call, to let the Wolves striker know he had not been selected for the final 23 man squad to face Sweden and Austria.

Tardelli told reporters, earlier today at the side’s Malahide training base, that he felt Doyle was treated the same as all other players would be, or had been. Tardelli said he felt a text was the same as a call and there was no offence intended.

Tardelli said, “If the boss called him then you’d say it was better on sms. If the boss send him the sms you told me that it’s better on a call. These are the same things. I think all players deserve the same things and the boss can’t call all players.”

Trapattoni did not include Doyle in the finalised 23 man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Stockholm and Dublin, and the Wolves striker this morning said he was “disappointed” to receive the news via a text msg. Tardelli told reporters he feels the manager should not be expected to call all players who may be considered in contention for a spot, but who do not make it and, as a rule, all players should be treated equally.

“I don’t think the boss should call the player always. Why (should he)? We have 40 players and we know the squad is 23 players. It’s normal.”

Tardelli was sure to rule out speculation that Doyle would not feature in the manager’s plans again.

“We know that he is a good player, we know that in the future it is possible that he come back here.
“(Doyle) is a good player. We know he’s in the squad (of) 30, 35 player that we can call.”

Image: Assistant manager Marco Tardelli takes questions on the Kevin Doyle issue ©INPHO/James Crombie