Warner displeased about Dwight Yorke's recall to Sunderland (left) and >Keane often worries about players picking up injuries while on international duty (right).

LONDON, England (CMC):

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has dismissed regional football guru Jack Warner as a "clown" and says he is a "disgrace" for handling the Dwight Yorke issue in the way he has.

The former Irish international was responding after Warner slammed him earlier this week for recalling football star Dwight Yorke ahead of Trinidad & Tobago's crucial 2010 World Cup qualifier against the United States in Illinois on Wednesday night.

Warner accused Keane of "insensitivity and disrespect" and "callous disregard for the rights of 'small' countries" and said he was treading a "dangerous path", but Keane said he was not surprised by the comments.

"I have seen what has been said and I am disappointed but not surprised that he has chosen to make his criticisms through the media," Keane said.

"I spoke to Jack Warner about the situation but I'm not surprised at what has been said by him. The man is a clown.

"I think he's a disgrace to go through the media the way he has. He doesn't really care about the players in the way he claims. He said he does but he doesn't."

Keane said the reason he recalled Yorke to Sunderland was because he believed that playing two internationals in five days would have been too much for the 36-year-old.

Supposed to have retired

"You've got to bear in mind that Dwight is supposed to have retired from international football about five times now and has yet to play a first team game for us after suffering a stress fracture of his cheek," Keane pointed out.

"To play two games inside a week was always going to be too much for him and Trinidad and Tobago were aware of that."

Warner, a FIFA vice-president and a special advisor to the T&T Football Federation, said Keane's actions revealed "a mean streak" in his character and one which would not endear him or Sunderland to smaller countries.