Ex-Sunderland, Celtic and Ipswich Town man reveals failed international and club job talks

Former Sunderland and Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane has revealed why talks with the Republic of Ireland and club sides have stalled in recent seasons.

The Manchester United Keane managed Sunderland to promotion from the Championship during his first season, then keeping the club in the Premier League the following campaign. The former Celtic man would then leave Wearside after a falling out with then-chairman Ellis Short.

Keane went on to manage Ipswich Town in the Championship before stints as assistant manager at Aston Villa under Paul Lambert, the Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest under Martin O’Neill. After Stephen Kenny’s departure last year, Keane was heavily linked with the Ireland job.

“I did enjoy the international set-up when I was working with Martin as a coach. I like the dynamics, the flow of international football. It wasn’t 24 hours a day, but you’re still working at a good level, so if you’re on about dream jobs, I suppose – it’s a bit silly saying it, but maybe the Irish job. “But obviously I think that ship has sailed as well,” Keane said on The Overlap about his time with O’Neill.

“Yes,” Keane told Gary Neville when asked if there had been talks with the FAI. “You speak to lots of teams. Just because you speak to people, it doesn’t mean to say… the hardest part is getting the deal done. Lots of people and lots of clubs that I’ve spoken to over the years are just wasting your time. It’s a bit of PR, they’re ticking a few boxes.

“They want to link you with the job and you meet people and as soon as you sit down with them and they start talking numbers, you are like, ‘Really? Come on’. I don’t mean with Ireland, I’m on about club jobs, so if you were going to sit down with people and have a conversation, then be serious, But a lot of people aren’t serious, they’re time wasters.”

Keane now works primarily as a pundit for football games and appears regularly on Sky Sports for Premier League matches and is also working with ITV during the European Championships in Germany.

Asked about the possibility of returning to management, Keane said: “What I have now at the moment is I’ve great freedom in my life. I answer to nobody. I do what I want. The only thing I have inside me is – I know I’m going back a long time and obviously I worked with Martin for a while with Ireland – I do think I could do a good job. Maybe it’s a bit of ego, I don’t know. Maybe that will never leave me.

“But also if I didn’t go back into management, I’m fine with that. I’ve a great life. I’ve never been so contented in my life, so be careful what you wish for. I still have a feeling I could do something. Maybe that will never leave me. That’s not a bad thing. But also, I’m very comfortable with what I’m doing.”