Roy Keane, who formally announced his retirement from international football last Tuesday, today appeared to leave room for hope that his Republic of Ireland career might not necessarily be over.
After announcing his retirement, he spoke to Republic manager Brian Kerr - and the pair agreed to leave the door open should circumstances alter.
Keane told the London Sunday Times: "Speaking to Brian was good, and as we were finishing our conversation, he said `You never know what could happen down the road'.
"I believe that, I still think `Never say never'.
"There are people who placed bets on Roy Keane never playing for Ireland again: if I were the bookies I wouldn't pay out just yet.
"The Champions League games that Manchester United play mean it is not feasible just now. What would happen if I was at a club that wasn't playing in Europe? You never know."
Keane also explained in the report that it was his decision alone to announce last week that he would no longer play for Ireland.
"This wasn't the manager (Alex Ferguson) or the medical people at the club telling me what to do," Keane said.
"Don't think for a second this wasn't my decision. It was my decision - Roy Keane doing what is best for Roy Keane."
The Manchester United captain revealed that he has been told by a specialist that he may need hip replacement surgery "at a very young age".
Specialist Richard Villar operated on the former Ireland midfielder's hip last September, according to the report. "There was a lot more damage than he expected," Keane was quoted as saying.
"His (Villar's) exact words were, 'I will be glad if you can get back playing, full stop'. We discussed the possibility of my having to retire," said the 3-year-old.
"He talked about the likelihood of a hip replacement at a very young age and asked me about life after football."