Former Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane is to make a dramatic return to the international stage, the FAI confirmed this afternoon.
Keane met with Ireland manager Brian Kerr last week and stated his desire to return to the international set-up which he quit following a pre-World Cup 2002 row with then manager Mick McCarthy in Saipan.
In a prepared statement, Kerr said: "Since our initial meeting following my appointment 15 months ago, when the player had clearly indicated his desire to play for Ireland, we have been in occasional contact.
"...I am glad that one of the greatest players ever to play for Ireland has chosen this path. It cannot have been an easy decision for him but his desire to represent his country is immense.
"I look forward to working with Roy Keane. He brings quality and experience to a potentially excellent squad of players whose sole focus is the World Cup qualifying matches next autumn."
Keane's decision ends months of spin and rumour touting a possible comeback. The United skipper informed Kerr early last year that he intended returning but backtracked citing "unequivocal advice" from medical experts.
Speaking in Dublin two months ago, Keane dropped his biggest hint of a return by saying he "missed" international football and that he had "unfinished business" with the Republic of Ireland.
The 32-year old's future at Manchester United will now fall under the spotlight with increasing speculation linking him with Celtic.
United manager Alex Ferguson played a vital role in persuading Keane not to return to the international stage following the World Cup, citing the negative impact extra games would have on the injury-prone player.
Despite publicly supporting Keane's decision to return, Ferguson is unlikely to truly embrace today's news and with Keane intent on adding to his 58 international caps, talks of a summer move to Glasgow in a player/coach capacity are sure to flourish.
"I'm pleased for Roy. He's made a good decision for all parties concerned. I think it is a good decision for them," Ferguson said tonight.
"There has been some dialogue between Brian and Roy in the last couple of weeks, and they have come to the feeling this was a good time to go back in order to qualify for the next World Cup."
Welcoming today's announcement, FAI chief executive Fran Rooney said: "We look forward to Roy Keane playing for Ireland again. It is important that we should have all our top players available for the forthcoming World Cup campaign.
"Roy's decision to return is evidence of the new professionalism within the FAI and of Brian Kerr's professional approach with the squad."
He added: "Ireland faces tough opposition in the World Cup qualifiers and Roy's presence will be a huge boost in our quest for qualification."
It is unclear whether Keane will make himself available for the upcoming friendlies with Poland and Romania or wait until the qualifiers kick off in September.
Keane last played for the Republic of Ireland in their 2-1 friendly defeat at home to Nigeria in May 2002.