IRELAND MANAGER MARTIN O’NEILL believes it won’t be long before Roy Keane returns to club management and sees no reason why the former captain can’t manage the national side in the future.
Keane is currently assistant to both O’Neill and Paul Lambert at Aston Villa after a period as a pundit following stints in the top job with both Sunderland and Ipswich.
However, O’Neill believes any difficulties Keane faced before will not prevent him from managing again.
“He’s obviously keen to learn,” O’Neill told Talksport, “keen to pick up again and I’m quite sure in the not too distant future he will go manage on his own again.
“I’m sure that’s something everybody will probably want to see, but in the meantime he’s actively enjoying [his role as an assistant].”
When asked if Keane could manage Ireland – despite a previously difficult relationship with the FAI – the Derryman says it is entirely possible.
“I don’t see why not. I’m sure these sort of experiences will stand him in good stead. I think probably his experience at Ipswich has probably knocked him back a little bit and upset him a little bit.
“But I’ve no doubt he is very capable and he will be a manager at both club level and international level in the not too distant future.”
