Healy not leaving Celtic on loan, says O'Neill

MARTIN O'NEILL says that Republic of Ireland international Colin Healy will not be leaving Celtic on loan in January.

The 22-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season, but with his first-team chances limited he has refused to sign an extension.

However, the Parkhead boss rates Healy highly and has told him that he will get his chance if nobody comes in to buy him during the transfer window.

"I wouldn't be prepared to let any of my top players go out on loan at the moment," insisted O'Neill. "The fact is that Colin has six months left on his contract and he has been injured for the last couple of weeks and he might have well figured before now. I know that Colin wants to play in somebody's first team and he had that good spell at Coventry which opened his eyes.

"He wants to play first team football and I totally understand that. If nothing develops with Colin in terms of someone buying him in January then I certainly won't loan him out.

"He has a part to play for us and, had he not have been injured, with the number of games the players have played, he could have been involved on Thursday.

"Colin has been offered a new contract and he hasn't signed it and I can understand that.

"There are other players also crying out for some games and that's what he would like. You never know what might materialise. Some midfield players might get injured like Neil Lennon again or Paul Lambert and Colin might step in and do the job and do the job superbly well that he keeps people out. I have said to him that some players won't be around forever. If Colin stays clear of injury and we are still involved in all competitions he will play for us this season and play in big games between now and the end of the campaign."

Alex Ferguson believes Roy Keane will "tailor" his tenacious style of play and has hinted the midfielder will play a more defensive role with Manchester United.

The Republic of Ireland player has returned to the United starting line-up following his four-month absence in style and appears to have lost none of his enthusiasm and hunger.

Boss Ferguson has been delighted with his skipper's return to the fold although he does admit that he expects to see a change in Keane's style of play: "I think the area where Roy is maybe trying to change himself is how he can play in a role which will control the team better like sitting in centre midfield," said Ferguson. "We used him in that position a couple of times last season to great effect.

"He did very well but we all know that Roy's natural enthusiasm will not always allow him to do that," he added. "His impatience to see the space and go forward will always be there and that is the kind of person he is.

"When you get to your thirties you do tailor your game a bit differently, every player has done that and I think that is where we will see Roy change a little bit."