Roy Keane is no longer assistant manager at Aston Villa, having decided he can no longer combine the role with his Republic of Ireland duties.
Already assistant to Martin O’Neill for the national side he represented on 67 occasions, it was something of a surprise when Keane took on the same role with Villa during the summer. Whilst it is believed his input has been useful to the players of the Midlands club, this has not been reflected in their results as they currently lie just two points above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
The 43-year-old has now decided to call time on his role under Paul Lambert, admitting that the toil of combining the two jobs has become too much for him to handle. Instead, he will now focus all his attentions on his position with Ireland, as they look to build on their encouraging start to their Euro 2016 Group D campaign and qualify for the tournament in Paris.
“Ultimately, my roles with Villa and Ireland, and combining my commitment to these, has become too much,” said Keane. “It isn’t fair to either Villa or Ireland, so I’ve made this decision. I’d like to thank Paul for giving me a great opportunity to come to a brilliant football club. I’ve really enjoyed my experiences and I wish the management team, the players, the supporters and the club nothing but the best.”
Villa will look to put a little bit of distance between themselves and the bottom three this weekend, when they travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley. The Premier League new-boys have won their last two fixtures to instil belief they can remain amongst the elite for another campaign, and they will leapfrog Lambert’s side if they can secure a third straight win on Saturday afternoon.
How will Villa fans remember Keane’s time at their club? Let us know your thoughts by joining in with the discussion below.
