GOALKEEPER Alan Mannus has said he did not mean to cause offence by failing to turn to face the tricolour during the playing of the Irish national anthem.
The former Northern Ireland international footballer stared straight ahead during the FAI Cup final between Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers in Dublin on Sunday.
Mannus (37) was lining out for Shamrock Rovers when, as Amhran na bhFiann was played, he stood facing forward and did not turn to face the flag.
This angered some supporters who claimed he was disrespecting the anthem, while others said he was within his right.
Speaking about the incident, he said he would "never try to do anything to make some sort of political statement".
"All I can do is apologise if anyone has seen it as being disrespectful or been offended by it," he told the Belfast Telegraph.
"I was only thinking about the match itself. I wasn't even listening to what was being said when the two teams were lined up before the game. We were facing forward and then the anthem started and people started turning slightly and I was thinking, what am I meant to do if I'm not Irish?
"I wasn't trying to be offensive to Ireland or anyone in it as some have suggested."
