Turkish club eyes ‘glorious’ new era with Keane

While the vice-president of Istanbul club Kasimpasa has named Roy Keane as their new manager, other sources are saying there is still some way to go before any deal is done.

Hasan Hilmi Oksuz was quoted in the Turkish media yesterday as saying Keane had agreed to manage the club, adding: “We believe he will bring us glorious results.”

However, there has been no confirmation from Keane’s side that he is ready to take over the Turkish Super Lig side.

Although one of the lesser Istanbul lights — their stadium has a 15,000 capacity — new investment in the club has coincided with promotion and they now sit in second place in the top flight, just behind Turkish giants Galatasaray. Amazingly the club sacked former manager Metin Diyadin.

It’s understood Keane has yet to hold direct talks with the club although — unlike previous rumours linking him to managerial posts in places as far-flung as Iceland and Australia — the mutual interest in this instance appears to be real enough.

Having previously worked in the Premier League with Sunderland and the Championship with Ipswich, it has always been assumed that Keane’s return to management would be in England. However, openings are rare enough and, with Sean O’Driscoll getting the nod at Keane’s old club Nottingham Forest, another potential vacancy was filled.

However, with the departure of Steve Kean, a new one has just been created at Blackburn Rovers — a club Keane was on the verge of joining as a player before opting for Manchester United.

Inevitably, Keane’s name has come up in speculation about the Ewood Park position even though former skipper Tim Sherwood is hotly tipped for the job. Sherwood, who is currently a youth coach at Spurs, yesterday played down the speculation without definitively ruling himself out of the running.

Keane, who has worked as a TV pundit since his sacking by Ipswich in January 2011, has always said that he wants a return to management.

Should the opportunity come in Turkey, it would have to count as a surprise, though Keane is well capable of making such a move if he feels the conditions are right. It might also appeal to him to resurrect his managerial career out of the eye of the British and Irish media storm which invariably follows in his wake.