Roy Keane drops Ireland ‘dream job’ bombshell – but also vents FAI frustration

ROY KEANE has opened up on the extent to which negotiations with the FAI took place earlier this year.

However, at the same time Keano conceded the ‘ship has probably sailed’ for him to land his ‘dream job.’

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The 52-year-old was speaking on Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet, when he gave the update.

Quizzed on his ideal comeback route to management, he said: “If I could manage any team in the world, it would be going back to the Republic of Ireland job.

“I enjoyed the international setup when I was working with Martin O’Neill.

“I liked the dynamics and the flow of international football, and it wasn’t 24hrs a day, but I was still working at a high level.

“The dream job would be working for the national team, but I think that ship has sailed. 

“I did speak to the Irish FA earlier this year, but I spoke to loads of teams.

“You can speak to anyone, but it doesn’t mean that anything is going to happen because the deal needs to be done and that takes a while to be finalised.

“If you’re going to sit down with someone in a room, the clubs need to be serious in their approach.

“But a lot of the time, they aren’t and are just timewasters, just looking for headlines in the press.” 

It’s not the first time the longtime midfield hardman has blamed ‘timewasters’ scuppering such a developement.

In February he intimated that he’d received a derisory salary offer in the preceding weeks.

He was teed up by former teammate Gary Neville, who suggested ‘Someone’s tried to take the p*** out of you haven’t they?’

Initially, Keane dead-batted the question and merely quipped: “I think I’ll be here a while yet.”

But when pressed by Neville further he acknowledged he’ll likely never take a job in management again.

The divisive Ireland icon stated: “I am swaying now towards not going back into it.

“I just think it’s not worth the hassle and people constantly disrespect you or whatever…timewasters.”

“Not talking about Pep (Guardiola) and (Jurgen) Klopp’s level.

“But when you go down a certain level and you have any sorts of chats or discussions about going back into work – I’m not joking you, people think you are so desperate that you’ll sign anything.

“I know there are managers out there doing that.”

STILL KEANE

Back in the here and now, he maintained that he still firmly believes he could make a successful boss should the right fit materialise.

“I’m not sure if I will manage again. I was doing a few coaching courses before I left Celtic and then managing at Sunderland all happened accidentally, but I loved my time there.

“However, what I enjoy now is that I have great freedom in my life, and I answer to nobody.

“I’ve got my deals with a few TV companies, but if any of them called me up tomorrow to cancel my deal, then I wouldn’t be bothered as I’m comfortable.  

“With Sunderland, I fell into it accidentally and I wasn’t sure, but I’d only return to management if the offer was good, and I don’t think that’s going to happen. 

“The only thing that would get me back into management is that I believe that I would do a good job, wherever I went.

“Maybe that’s my ego, but also if I didn’t get back into management, then I’d be fine with that.” 

He has not held a managerial post since his two-year stint at Ipswich Town drew to a close in 2011.

The high-profile pundit did remain actively involved in football for several more years between his assistant roles at Aston Villa and of course serving under Martin O’Neill with The Boys in Green between 2013-2018.

But he has not been on a coaching staff since he quit O’Neill’s at Nottingham Forest in June 2019.

Over the weekend his name came up around the vacant Wales job – largely owing to his fellow Cork native Noel Mooney now leading the Welsh FA.