Martin O’Neill on Roy Keane: "He’ll be fantastic for the nation"

Recently-appointed Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has revealed he thought his players would be “concerned” about the addition of Roy Keane to his managerial ticket.

O’Neill dropped a bombshell on the FAI earlier this month by nominating the former Ireland captain as his assistant, a development few could have forecasted given Keane’s fractious past with the governing body.

While at the time of their appointment and the subsequent games against Latvia and Poland, O’Neill insisted Keane’s return would be universally welcomed within the set-up, he has now admitted there was a degree of trepidation on behalf of the players.