Matt Holland: The day our talisman, our one World XI star, abused the manager, his team-mates and - he will realise - himself

I described the World Cup as a "pretty big show" in last week's column. Well, courtesy of Roy Keane it turned into the world's biggest story. Considering what else has been in the news, that's quite a statement. Never have I witnessed such a foul-mouthed tirade as Keane subjected the manager Mick McCarthy to during that fateful team meeting in Saipan on Thursday.

It started at 7.30pm and most of the players assumed it was about travel arrangements so we all sat around chatting, completely unaware of the volcanic eruption that Keane was going to inflict upon us. McCarthy walked in holding sheets of paper that were transcripts of some interviews Keane had given earlier in the week, the gist of which is public knowledge and concerned the supposedly amateurish preparations and training on Saipan. I think the manager wanted an apology from Keane, not so much to himself but to the rest of the players whom Keane had accused of "accepting second best" – among other compliments.

A little humility from Keane and it would have been a simple "clear the air" meeting as McCarthy intended but when he waved the papers at Keane and asked "What is all this about?", Keane reacted aggressively, immediately trying to defend himself.

He wanted the discussion to be between him and McCarthy only – in other words, in private – but McCarthy explained that it was Keane's own actions that had made everything public so it was to be dealt with in front of the whole squad. The rest of us just sat there. Keane refused to apologise for his comments. In fact he reiterated that he still stood by them and then he launched an abusive attack on the manager. It was absolutely extraordinary to listen to, and like the rest of the squad, I was stunned.

McCarthy tried to appeal to Keane and reminded him of the times he had defended him in public or helped him, but Keane continued his barrage, leaving the manager absolutely no option but to send him home. The meeting lasted about 10 minutes and finished with Keane storming out the door leaving behind 22 shocked team-mates and one very irate manager.

I sat there much like the rest, feeling as if the whole thing had been a dream, a surreal dream maybe but a dream nonetheless. The manager and captain had been verbally slugging it out, toe to toe, with most of the invective and appalling language coming from the player. Traditionally, the manager is in charge and Keane forgot that. Steve Staunton, Keane's replacement as captain, described it as "overstepping the mark", but that does not do it justice. Keane leapt over the mark in a way that would have done Bob Beamon proud. What caused Keane to ruin his own World Cup and sabotage ours? I don't think there is one simple answer. In fact, I hope there isn't because his behaviour demands complex problems to go anywhere near justifying it. I am not trying to slate Keane but am reacting to the facts and the situation. For two years a group of men had scrapped hard together to get to the World Cup. Now, here we are, a matter of days from the tournament beginning and our talisman, our one player who would get in a World XI, abuses the manager, the players and – I think in time he will come to realise – himself.

Make no excuses, we have lost our best player but next morning the famed Irish atmosphere was back as we sang lots of songs on the team bus, including our favourite "We're on the one road", and now the saga's over there is a definite sense of relief at Keane's departure. He had been his usual brooding self since our arrival in Saipan.

From the very start he moaned about, well, everything really and I feel, with the benefit of hindsight admittedly, that he wanted to go home all the time. He certainly tried on Tuesday when he walked out and it took plenty of diplomacy by the Football Association of Ireland and a series of phone calls home and to Sir Alex Ferguson to persuade him to stay.

A lot of his complaints were petty, balls not being there or the pitch being too hard. Sometimes you just have to get on with it and the training we did in the humidity on Saipan has already proved beneficial as we have found running a lot easier at our new base here in Japan. Life is a series of compromises and football and footballers are no different, particularly when you have to live together for an extended period of time.

Keane lives in "Roy Keane World" and refuses to accept other people's autonomy or opinions. We got to the World Cup by playing with tremendous team spirit. Keane was a vital part of that but, importantly, not above it. McCarthy has acted to preserve that spirit because he knows that is our biggest strength.

It seemed during Wednesday's training that Keane was to be part of it again as he set about his work quietly and professionally. But just one day later he was gone. From now on, the players have to forget the past few days and concentrate on the important thing – the football.

We are not the only side with problems and, as I said, sometimes you just have to get on with it. No one player is bigger than the game, or indeed the team. Sadly Keane has learned that at great personal cost.

Matt Holland was talking to Iain Fletcher.