Roy Keane could be a success if he took charge of the Republic of Ireland, according to one of his Manchester United team-mates who believes he should link up with another Red Devils ace
Roy Keane
Roy Keane has been backed to succeed in management(Image: Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Roy Keane would be a great fit to manage the Republic of Ireland, according to former team-mate Wes Brown. The ex-United star believes his experience remains an asset despite not holding a managerial role for more than a decade.
Keane's last foray into management ended with Ipswich Town in 2011, and he has since worked as an assistant at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and the Republic of Ireland. However, the former midfielder has not worked in that capacity for six years since departing Forest with Martin O'Neill.
The 54-year-old has not ruled out a return to the dugout and previously had talks with the Football Association of Ireland over taking charge of the side. Brown believes Keane's notorious intensity could be an asset and that he will have learned how to channel that in a modern management setting.
“I actually think Roy Keane could be a great fit for Ireland now," Brown told 10bet Casino. "He’s had some time away from management, but he’s got experience. He managed at Sunderland, Ipswich, he was an assistant at Aston Villa.
"I think if you listen to some of the players he coached, they found he was maybe too intense. I’m not sure you can be that strong with your management at every occasion, and I think he’s now had time to reflect on that.
“So that was probably his problem, and he’ll know that. I would also say that Roy can’t take all the blame, the players he had have to take some responsibility. You can still see that he loves the game, and I think now he’d be able to adapt, which is what the game is about."
Brown believes the perfect assistant for Keane is already in place. The ex-versatile defender has tipped John O'Shea to be an ideal partner.
O'Shea is currently the assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland under Heimir Hallgrímsson. The Icelandic job took the job in 2024 and has won four of his opening 13 matches in charge.
Assistant coach John O'Shea during team warm up before the Republic of Ireland V Bulgaria, UEFA Nations League match at Aviva Stadium
John O'Shea during a team warm-up(Image: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Brown reckons Keane is worth hiring, alongside his former team-mate. The ex-England international said: “John’s very intelligent.
"He watches a lot of football and sees a lot of what’s happening. He tells me they’ve got a really promising bunch of lads coming through in the younger sides, the under-21s and under-18s.
"There’s the potential there for what could be the emergence of a really strong team over the next few years. O’Shea’s been assistant managing for years now, five or six, so he’s got plenty of experience he can draw upon.
"He and Keane know each other and respect each other, so there would be no problem for them to work as a team. You’d just have to give them a chance now and see how it goes."
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