Keane pulls no punches as he vents fury on Fergie

When Roy Keane had his official unveiling as Ireland’s assistant manager last month, he was ready for all — well, almost all — that the huge media presence could throw at him, straight-batting everything from his previous with certain Irish players to his previous with FAI boss John Delaney.

He was even the first to bring up the subject of Saipan, albeit via a jocular reference to the welcome availability of balls and bibs at the national team’s training ground in Malahide.

There was, in fact, only one issue he dodged, at least temporarily, and that was the subject of the withering criticism of his former captain by Alex Ferguson in his old boss’s then newly-published autobiography. “I’m not going to sit here and defend myself regarding Alex Ferguson,” said Keane. “That’s for another day.”