Keane lists plenty of reasons to be cheerful

Standing on the sideline of a training pitch fielding questions from the dreaded meeja will never be high up on Roy Keane’s list of ‘Things I Like To Do’.

But while there were moments at Gannon Park yesterday when the lines of inquiry clearly didn’t impress him one bit, overall Ireland’s Assistant Manager could not help reflecting the stirring Spring weather as he offered a refreshingly upbeat assessment of the national team’s well-being.

Just over a week ago in Nice, Martin O’Neill had expressed concern about the dearth of up and coming Irish talent but even as Keane took that observation on board and was also reminded that the Irish presence is minimal at the top clubs nowadays, the Cork man – though scarcely presenting himself as a Roy of sunshine – insisted there were plenty of reasons accentuate the positive.