Hi °C | Lo °C Keith Gillespie has made the first move in an attempt to make peace with his international team-mate George McCartney.
The Northern Ireland pair were involved in an angry exchange on-board an aeroplane on Thursday morning as the team were making their way back from Iceland after losing 2-1 in a Euro 2008 qualifying game in Reykjavik the previous evening.
The home side won the game thanks to an unfortunate own-goal by Gillespie in the dying moments after David Healy had equalised from the penalty spot earlier in the second-half.
Less than 12-hours later he and McCartney had to be separated by other squad members as punches were thrown prior to the plane taking off for London.
As the pair prepare to play for their respective club sides this weekend, Gillespie insists that such an incident won't happen again while he is with the Northern Ireland squad as he offered an apology to the Irish FA.
"It was really a misunderstanding over a lost passport," Gillespie explained in an interview on UTV Live.
"George and I had words and there was a coming together, but the whole incident was finished within two or three seconds, players came in and pulled us apart. The incident has been sensationalised somewhat by most of the press.
"Certainly I won't have a problem with George.
"It was just a total misunderstanding.
"I sent George a text message and told him that there are no hard feelings. It was just one of those things.
"These sort of things happen in football and on training pitches all the time, but obviously with it being on an aeroplane it was a little bit different."
Gillespie is the most capped player in the current Northern Ireland squad, having made his debut 13 years ago this month.
Only 1982 World Cup heroes Pat Jennings, Mal Donaghy and Sammy McIlroy have appeared more times in a Northern Ireland shirt.
He has been a fixture in the international side for virtually all of that time, but is now very much under a cloud after the own goal and the aeroplane incident.
"We are there to represent our country and to represent the Irish FA," he said.
"Behaviour like that shouldn't happen. It is unacceptable.
"I deeply apologise to the management, staff, the fans and the IFA as well.
"It is something that shouldn't have happened, as far as I am concerned now I want to draw a line under it and get on with my football.
"It was an unsavoury incident and won't be happening as far as I am concerned again.
"It shouldn't happen, unfortunately it did.
"Hopefully I can put it to bed and get on with playing football."
IFA chief executive Howard Wells has promised a full investigation into the incident and he is expected to bring the two players together for a face-to-face meeting long before next month's trip to Stockholm to take on Sweden.
