The first teaser trailer for Saipan has dropped, with Glanmire man Éanna Hardwicke proving himself as one of Ireland's fastest-rising young actors as he takes on the role of Roy Keane.

The upcoming sports film tells the thrilling story of the infamous confrontation between Republic of Ireland football captain Keano and team manager Mick McCarthy during the Irish team’s preparations for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Alongside BAFTA-nominated Hardwicke is two-time Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, who plays McCarthy to tell the true story of an intense rivalry between two firey personalities - a conflict which transcended the game and had all Irish eyes on Northern Mariana islands.

The first trailer was released this morning, and it has both film buffs and sports fans excited for the new movie. While the teaser clip may only be over a minute long, it's already an impressive look at what we can expect - and how the actors fared out having to embody two very recognisable names in Irish sporting history.

See the teaser trailer below:

Hardwicke, who shaved his head to match Roy's early-2000s buzzcut, has Keano's distinctive city accent down - and on first impression it seems the Glanmire native has done a stellar job stepping into the shoes of the Leeside legend under the pressure of the weight of the nation's sporting dreams on his shoulders.

The teaser includes scenes from the training pitch to nights out on the town and face-to-face confrontations between Keane and McCarthy just days out from the World Cup.

Saipan is being produced by Macdara Kelleher and John Keville for Wild Atlantic Pictures (Evil Dead Rise, Cocaine Bear, Black 47), alongside Trevor Birney and Oliver Butler for Fine Point Films (Kneecap, Bobby Sands: 66 Days), with Patrick O'Neill, Eoin Egan, and Rachael O'Kane serving as Executive Producers.

Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke in Saipan
First-look image released of Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke in Saipan

Also starring are Alice Lowe, Jamie Beamish, Alex Murphy, and Harriet Cains. The producers commented: "A million words have been written about what happened on that fateful week in 2002 on the tiny island of Saipan."

From the outside he feud between football greats was about standards, but deep down it was an incredible story of two men whose rivalry and contempt surpassed the sport they loved. This is the definitive account of one of the most fractious falling-outs in the history of sport.

Former Ireland and Liverpool star Jason McAteer, who was on the squad and witnessed first-hand the infamous argument between Keane and manager Mick McCarthy, previously commented that Keane may not be portrayed in the most flattering light in the film.

The quarrel led to the then-captain storming out of the competition shortly before it began, and his exit from the team cast a shadow over the rest of the tournament. McAteer previously told the BBC'sSacked in the Morningpodcast: "It’s going to be a blockbuster and I don’t think Roy is going to come out of this too well, to be honest."

Roy Keane departing from the World Cup in 2002

McAteer claimed there was "always tension between Roy and Mick" that "went back from when they played together".

He said: "When Mick was captain and Roy was a young kid, they clashed a number of times. Then Mick got the manager's job and Roy became one of the best midfielders in the world, so it was always a difficult relationship.

"We were struggling with jet lag and tiredness and there were a few things that needed ironing out. Unfortunately, it escalated to the point where, in a team meeting, Mick and Roy decided to air their views of each other, which didn't go down very well. It just got to the point where it was a slagging match in the dressing room.

"I'd been involved in fights in dressing rooms. I'd seen managers lose their temper. I'd seen players throw punches, but I'd never been involved in an argument which escalated to such a point where one of them was gonna snap - and they did. And it was Roy. He decided to go home."

"What followed was just ridiculous. The country was split in half, it got political, players were dragged into it. We weren't allowed out of the hotel, we weren't allowed out to talk to the press. It soured the situation."