‘Lucky’ Keane focused on guiding Ireland
Keane had been linked in reports with a possible role as number two to Louis van Gaal should the Dutchman get the job of succeeding David Moyes at Manchester United but, speaking yesterday, he appeared dismissive of the idea.
“People keep asking me about other jobs, but I’ve got a job and I’m very happy in my job,” he said.
“I feel very lucky to be working with Martin O’Neill and Seamus (McDonagh) and obviously the rest of the staff and all the players. It’s great, I really feel lucky to be back involved in the Irish set-up.”
Keane welcomed the inclusion of Everton’s Seamus Coleman in the PFA team of the year but also indicated his continued development is also part of the Irish management’s job spec.
“He’s very good, Seamus, and he’s had a top season and we’re very lucky to have him,” he observed, “but I always think with young players that there’s always areas to improve on and hopefully Martin and myself can help him to improve even more so.”
Keane reiterated his intention to return to management in his own right some time in the future.
“I was at a match Friday and I was at a match Saturday and I’m up in the stand and I’m just thinking ‘I’d love to have a team’ and then I got back into the car and I spoke to Martin and I was thinking ‘well, I’m delighted to be working with Martin and Seamus and the other staff’. So you have to be careful what you wish for.
“I just appreciate the opportunity that I have at the moment. What happens further down the road... I never thought I’d be a manager, I never thought I’d do TV games, so I’ve never been thinking too far ahead if at all possible. I’m just focused on helping Ireland qualify.”
Speaking on the Ray D’Arcy Show on Today FM at the launch in Cork of the annual ‘Shades’ campaign for the Irish Guide Dogs For The Blind, Keane was reluctant to involve himself in further discussion about the seismic events at his old club.
“I made my point with regard to David Moyes last week which was that I felt sorry for him as I do with any manager but particularly with David Moyes,” he said.
“I thought he should have been given more time. But I also have to be careful, I think, when you’re an ex player, particularly for Manchester United, that people are asking you every single day or every week for an opinion on something and sometimes, you know, I don’t have an opinion on a certain situation. Part of me feels I have to take a step back although I know the media is going to ask me about these things but there’s part of me saying ‘whatever has gone on at certain clubs, it really is none of my business’. I’ve been a manager before so I’ll look at David Moyes and think ‘I don’t like what’s happened to him’ but regarding other issues, whether it be United or Arsenal or other football clubs, it’s none of my business and it doesn’t keep me awake at night.”
Asked if he could see himself speaking again to Alex Ferguson, the former United captain replied: “Not sure. Probably not, but I’ve said that about other people. Football’s a funny old game and you get clashes of personality sometimes but it’s something that’s not on my mind at the moment.”
On the subject of the Premier League title race, Keane revealed he’d shared his flight into Cork on Sunday night with a number of Liverpool fans deflated after their 2-0 loss to Chelsea.
“I was thinking, ‘thank god they lost because they would have been gloating no doubt,” he quipped. “Liverpool have had a great season but you have to bounce back. They’re still in a good position. I wouldn’t be writing them off. But the pressure builds and people see the finishing line and it’s not what you feel physically towards the end of the season, it’s very much a head job. It’s very much about keeping the head, almost about doing the basics right and getting over that finish line. But no one seems to want to win the league in England: Man City have thrown away silly points, Chelsea, Liverpool slipping up, so it’s still all to play for. You’d have to look at City now because it’s back in their hands, but I still think there could be another twist.”
