McAteer has, though, calmed down and is now hoping to stake his claim for tomorrow night’s final group game against Saudi Arabia.

McAteer suffered a badly bruised knee in Ireland’s last warm-up match against Hiroshima a week before their first World Cup game. He was still feeling the injury when McCarthy visited him in his room and asked if he was fit to play.

Speaking in his diary in the Irish Independent, McAteer explained what happened three days before the Cameroon clash.

He said: ‘‘When I woke up this morning my knee felt absolutely s** t. And this afternoon in training, I clocked Mick (McCarthy) watching me like a hawk on at least five occasions.

‘‘So when the knock came on the door this evening I wasn’t too surprised. ‘I can’t afford to take any chances, I want you to be honest with me,’’’ he said.

‘‘So I looked him straight in the eye and lied. I had to. The World Cup is the ultimate. This game is bigger than a cup final! I HAVE to play!

‘‘The truth is that my knee is very sore. But I couldn’t tell him the truth. ‘I assure you Mick it will be fine,’ I lied.’’

McAteer started the Cameroon match, but got another knock on his knee.

McCarthy could see he was not right and substituted him at half-time.

There was further bad news for McAteer the day before the Germany game, when McCarthy told him he was not playing.

He recalled: ‘‘The knockout blow was delivered in my room. I sat on the bed, as sure as death that it was coming and yet was totally unprepared when it did. I heard him say ‘You’re not firing on all cylinders. I don’t think you’re fit. I’m sticking with the team that started the second half against Cameroon.’

‘‘I sat on the bed and cried like a baby. I was so upset, I just couldn’t see past myself. The pain turned to anger and I considered picking up the telly and throwing it out the window. I thought about smashing everything in the room. I was really bitter and angry.’’

On the morning of the Germany game McAteer, who was sharing a room with Steve Staunton, started packing his bags.

He said: ‘‘I had just started packing, for no particular reason, when Mick Byrne (the Ireland physio) paid a call. ’Why are you packing your bags?’ he asked. ’Because I’m going home,’ I replied instinctively.

‘‘Stan Staunton, who was still in bed, opened his eyes and looked up: ’What did you just say?’ ’I said I’m injured and I am going home.’

‘‘At lunch, I kept myself to myself. I asked Niall (Quinn) to inform Mick (McCarthy) that I wasn’t fit and didn’t want to be named as a sub and went for a walk.’’

McAteer travelled to Ibaraki with the rest of the squad and was named as one of the substitutes because McCarthy wanted him to feel part of the team even though he had no chance of playing.

He came to his senses during the game when he was sitting on the bench and his emotions took over, as Ireland came from a goal behind to draw 1-1 with Germany and leave themselves needing to beat the Saudis by two goals in order to progress to the knockout phase.

McAteer seemed a bit embarrassed by his tantrum and tried to play it down after training this morning.

He said: ‘‘When Mick decided to stick with the lads who did ever so well in the second half against Cameroon, I found it hard to take because I tried everything to get myself fit, and I felt very disappointed not to play.

‘‘That is a reaction any one of the lads would have had, this is the World Cup, it is bigger than anything and is something I have been waiting ages to do.

‘‘But in hindsight Mick was 100% right. There was no argument or disagreement, I was just very unhappy. But after speaking to the medical staff I decided to carry on and try to get fit for the game tomorrow.

‘‘Mick has been watching training and feels I am moving a lot better and he is quite happy for me to be available for selection tomorrow.

‘‘I think everyone can understand this is a massive competition and of course I wanted to play, but at the end of the day I was probably kidding myself and Mick was right.’’