He’s played Stan Laurel, Samuel Pepys and Alan Partridge.

But now British actor and comedian Steve Coogan looks set for his toughest role yet – former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.

Hollywood trade magazine Variety has confirmed that Coogan will star alongside Irish newcomer éanna Hardwicke in a new movie called ‘Saipan’.

The film will chart the lead-up to the 2002 World Cup and the infamous occasion in which Keane, at that point Ireland’s best player and captain, walked out of their training camp just a few days before the tournament.

Keane was upset with Ireland’s preparations for the competition in Japan and South Korea, reportedly storming out of camp and telling McCarthy to ‘shove the World Cup up your bollocks’.

The incident caused a major incident in Irish society with the then Taoiseach of the Government, Bertie Ahern, trying to step in to ease tensions.

Ultimately neither party backed down and Keane didn’t play for his country again for another two years.

The movie is salted for release in summer 2025.