Though it has been years since he took charge of any team, Roy Keane continues to be mentioned as a major candidate to take over from Stephen Kenny as manager of the Republic of Ireland.
Almost immediately after retiring as a player in 2006, Keane took charge of Sunderland and brought them to the Premier League in his first season as manager. A less successful and more turbulent period in charge of Ipswich was to follow, and Keane has not taken a manager's role since departing the Tractor Boys in January 2011.
He has, however, worked as an assistant coach for Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. Most notable was his five years as assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland alongside head coach Martin O'Neill - a period which saw famous wins over Germany and Italy, and progression to the knockout stages of EURO 2016.
With question marks surrounding almost all of the leading candidates to replace Stephen Kenny, Keane has been mentioned by several pundits as a potential option for the FAI.
Speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes Fanzone this week, former Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert said that he felt signing up Keane was a "no-brainer," and explained from experience why he thought the Manchester United legend would be perfect for the job.
READ HERE: 16-Year-Old Ireland Youth Star Shatters Record With Copa Del Rey Appearance
READ HERE: Liverpool Fans Blown Away By Cameo From Tyrone Youngster In Big Arsenal Win
Paul Lambert thinks Roy Keane would slot right in as Ireland manager
16 October 2018; Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane, right, assistant coach Steve Guppy and goalkeeping coach Seamus McDonagh, left, during the UEFA Nations League B group four match between Republic of Ireland and Wales at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Though Roy Keane's period as assistant coach at Aston Villa was brief, it evidently left a mark on then-manager Paul Lambert, with the Scot full of praise for Keane this week.
In an exclusive with Ladbrokes, Lambert said that Keane would be a perfect fit as Ireland manager - and had no doubts that he had the coaching skills to be a success in the job:
It's a no-brainer, for me, for him to step back into management with Ireland, if that was the case. He'd be hugely popular with the Irish supporters, he's got that link with Celtic too.
If you're asking me 'could he do the job?' I'd say he could do it standing on his head, absolutely no problem. Will he go back into management, though? I don't know; maybe he likes the punditry side too much now.
Put it this way... would it surprise me to see him in the Ireland job? No, it wouldn't, because it's in his make-up to manage. He's a great guy who really knows what he's talking about when it comes to football, so I wouldn't be surprised at all, no.
There will, naturally, be question marks about Keane's suitability for the Ireland job.
The end of his period as assistant manager was a turbulent one, with the Corkman falling out with multiple players and enduring a tense relationship with the Irish media as the fortunes of his and O'Neill's side on the pitch faltered.
Of course, Keane infamously had several issues with the FAI during his playing career on top of the above problems. Nonetheless, Lambert believes enough time has passed for those not to be an issue for Keane:
It's all changed, I think, at the top of the FAI, from when Roy was a player. It's a new regime, a clean sheet, really, so I don't think there'd be any problems there.
You won't know how he'll do until you give him a chance. He was there as Martin [O'Neill]'s assistant, he knows the Irish fans, he understands the expectation, he knows how it works.
It would be a really interesting one, if he did get asked, whether he'd take it or not...
With Eileen Gleeson confirmed as Ireland WNT manager, a decision on the men's team manager is now priority #1 for the footballing department of the FAI, with a decision expected before March's friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland.
Roy Keane has made no public comment on Ireland since Stephen Kenny's departure was confirmed, and he remains an outside contender with the bookies.
SEE ALSO: Ranking Every Nation's Home Kit At This Year's AFCON
