Keane wants ‘boss with balls’

Robbie Keane doesn’t mince his words when he’s asked what qualities he would like to see in the next manager of Ireland.

“I want someone who is honest, who doesn’t mess around, who understands how important it is to work at international level, someone who is proud to be an international manager and proud of what we are trying to achieve in Ireland,” says the skipper, building up quite a head of steam. “Someone who is honest, somebody who has balls, you know, someone who doesn’t take any shit from anybody.”

Meaning? “Everything to be honest with you, I don’t want to be specific on certain things but I think everything that comes with being an international manager — knowing that if someone doesn’t get picked or is going to be upset with a manager who is very strong in his views...”

Keane lets the point drift away but there’s no mistaking his preference for a no-nonsense type who will not indulge any laxity. A Mick McCarthy or a Roy Keane per chance?

“The names that I keep hear being mentioned, if any of them took over I think everybody would be fairly happy,” Keane responds. “It could be any of those, I don’t know the answer to that. Whoever it is, I think that it’s important that it’s a fresh start for everybody, that the whole country gets behind him, and we wish him well.”

When asked if is wise for a manager to come back a second time, Keane leaves no-one in any doubt about his high regard for McCarthy although, pointedly, he doesn’t rule out Martin O’ Neill or Keane either.

“Well, why not, it happens quite a lot abroad,” he says of a second coming. “Holland have done it a good few times. Mick is a great guy, a fantastic guy. I think he’s everything that we’ve referenced, he comes into that mould. So if it was Mick, if it was Martin O’Neill, Roy Keane — then I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them. They’re the three main names that are being mentioned and I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them.”

After Steve Staunton’s departure in 2007, FAI chief executive John Delaney consulted with senior players — Keane among them — about their thoughts on a possible replacement.

Should the same thing happen now?

“Listen, you’re not going to get anywhere in life if you don’t ask people’s opinions,” he observes. “Whether they’re what you want to call experts or whether they’ve played, there’s no harm in asking people what they think because you’re only going to learn things and open your eyes to certain different things that are going on around you.

“If anybody wants to ask any of the lads a question, then I’m sure that they’ll be very open and they’ll listen to what people want to say and give their opinion on what they feel. But, ultimately, the decision is down to the FAI, it’s their heads on the chopping block if they don’t feel like they’re going to make the right decision.”

Keane was asked if he thinks the successor to Giovanni Trapattoni should be Irish? “I think, as long as it’s the right man, it doesn’t matter but, of course, at this stage everybody would want an Irish manager. I think that’s probably clear and it’s looking likely that it probably will be.”

As to his own ambitions to be Irish manager, Keane says that it’s something he would like to consider after he’s done his coaching badges.

“But,” he adds, “that’s a fair way off in the future”, before confirming that he wants to extend his international career into the next European Championship campaign.

“I’ll continue to play as long as I feel healthy,” he concludes.