Keegan left the midfielder out of Newcastle United's last game of the season, despite him having returned to fitness.

>> Join the debate in our sport forum

Instead of travelling with his team-mates to Goodison Park, the 27-year-old linked up with his Turkey colleagues ahead of the championships in Austria and Switzerland, looking to put another injury-ravaged campaign behind him.

And Keegan – only able to name Emre in two of his starting XIs – felt it was the right thing to do, given the risk of another injury putting him out of the tournament.

He told the Echo: "I just felt for him to play one game for us, at that intensity in the Premiership, and get injured before Euro 2008, wouldn't be the right thing. He probably would have been on the bench anyway.

"They've got a training camp. It was my decision, not his. When I was aware the other players were meeting, I said: 'If I don't use you the game before – which was Chelsea – in any way, then you can go'.

"I've kept my promise to him, and I think that's right.

"Had he gone to Everton and pulled a hamstring, or whatever, and been robbed of playing for his country in Euro 2008, I think that would have been wrong, bearing in mind he hadn't been in the side."

Emre – signed from Inter Milan three years ago by Graeme Souness for £3.8m – made just eight starts, and came of the bench a further nine times, this season, scoring once in the home win over Everton.

His last appearance for United was in February, when he started the 4-1 defeat away to Aston Villa.

Turkey face hosts Switzerland, David Rozehnal's Czech Republic, and 2004's beaten finalists Portugal in the group stage.

Rozehnal, meanwhile, played his last game on loan at Serie A club Lazio at the weekend, helping the Rome club to a 2-1 win over Napoli.