Keane looking forward to tackling All Blacks

ROY KEANE admitted last night that he’s heading into the unknown, but expects to be intrigued by his summer link up with New Zealand’s All Blacks as part of his UEFA pro-licence course.

He said: “You don’t know until you go over there. I’m not going to second guess what will happen. I’m just going to try to plug into what they are about. I’ll watch training. I don’t know if I will be allowed into meals or team talks. If I’m told I have to step back from it, then I appreciate that.

“It’s three or four days before a Test match, so I’m not expecting too much. I will keep my head down. It’s Ireland the following weekend, but that was a coincidence.

“If I pick up one thing when I go there, then great, it’s worth it, but I haven’t got a clue what’s going to go on. That’s why I didn’t want to go to a football club. I didn’t think I would learn too much by going to Europe — I played for the best around.

“I thought I could learn something from a different sport. Why not go to a team I’m intrigued by? I could have gone to Munster, Ireland, England, Wales, but I thought of New Zealand. I might be regretting it now I’m looking at my flights and I have about 10 connections in the middle of winter — I won’t be taking my shorts!

“The All Blacks are just part of the package. I love watching the Haka.

“The Haka is a great spectacle in sport. I watched a Test match against Wales last year and they weren’t allowed to do it — I was fed up. That’s part of the history. I have spoken to players from over there and the Haka goes back years. It would be nice to see one for real against Ireland.”

Keane added: “I will finish the pro-licence this summer. It’s not a relief but it’s been hard work and I didn’t have much of a break last summer because I had to do my A licence. I finished that last summer then started my pro-licence.

“I’ve had lectures coming out of my ears, but it’s been fantastic — I had a lot to learn.

Keane, whose side could be safe from relegation today if they beat Man City, comes up against one of the game’s most experienced managers in former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson at the Stadium of Light.

And the Swede admitted yesterday: “I await another fight at Sunderland. They are 10 points above relegation and Keane has been doing an excellent job.”