O’Neill ultra-keen to retain Roy

Martin O’Neill says he will do all he can to try to persuade Roy Keane to stay on as his assistant, but seems resigned to the notion the job of managing Celtic is an offer the Cork man simply won’t be able to refuse.

Keane is now on the brink of succeeding Neil Lennon as the new boss at Parkhead, meaning he would be leaving his post with the international squad less than eight months after he and O’Neill were unveiled amid great fanfare as the dynamic duo who would lead Irish football into a new era.

O’Neill revealed yesterday that Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond had contacted him earlier this week to seek permission to speak to Keane. Initial, informal talks between the two subsequently took place on Wednesday night.

“I know Dermot, he was the one that made me the manager at Celtic,” said O’Neill. “I’ve known Dermot a long time and, naturally, I think he was asking in a general point about Roy’s managerial quality. I’ve often said here that he’ll be a manager again himself. I just didn’t expect it that quickly.”

Asked if he would fight to try to keep the man he had recruited as his Number 2, O’Neill replied: “I will do my very best, alright? I’m going to do my very best. He wouldn’t take it (the decision to leave) lightly. He loves it here, genuinely loves it here. It’s been great for him. He’s said this to me over the course of time and probably emphasised it again. Loves it. It’s been great for him.

“I hate to use the word rehabilitation here in the country but it has been really great for him, he has enjoyed the role. In terms of the age difference between the two of us, I think that kinda suits him as well. There’s a good distance between us and I think working with these players and going to the football games, Roy never gets fed up with that. It has been really good for him and I’m sure he’ll be giving that a lot of consideration. But eventually, it will be Roy’s decision.”

Amid speculation that Keane might retain a role with the international team on a part-time basis, O’Neill indicated he doesn’t really think it’s feasible to combine the roles.

“To also do the job with us, if you’re a full-time manager, I don’t know if it would work or not,” he said

O’Neill said he had spoken to Keane about the situation yesterday morning and expects to speak to him again before a final decision is made.

“He’ll keep me in the loop,” said the manager. “Obviously, I’d like him to stay for every reason under the sun. He’s thinking things over, he has a lot to think about including, I know, a number of offers as well too.”

O’Neill insisted he does not now rue his decision to pick Keane in the first place.

“I have no regrets, absolutely not – and he’s not gone yet. We are at a speculative time at this moment. But absolutely not. I think that Roy coming into this job has rekindled interest in him, believe it or not. Whether these opportunities would have arisen so quickly had he not done so, I don’t know. But no, no regrets whatsoever. We’ll all be disappointed – players, backroom staff and myself. I was the one who brought him in. But we’ll see.”

Asked if he felt Keane’s reputation among Irish fans would be damaged by the perception the Corkman was walking away from his country for a second time, O’Neill – as is his wont – employed humour in his response

“Could you come in and speak to him also,” he replied. “Brilliant. That’s a very good point. I just don’t know. It’s happened so quickly. I really don’t know. Obviously, I don’t think he would take on any particular job lightly. That’s not the way Roy thinks.”

And when it was put to him that, as a former Celtic manager himself, the job would be impossible for Keane to turn down, O’Neill conceded: “It’s a very big job obviously and those kind of offers might not come around again. For me that’s what I wanted to do in 2000 when Celtic came for me. I loved Leicester City, it was great. Celtic came along and it was what I wanted to do.”

O’Neill also acknowledged it would be in at the deep end for Keane at Parkhead, with Celtic facing into three Champions League qualifiers beginning as early as the middle of July.

Keane is due to travel with the Irish squad to London today for tomorrow’s friendly against Italy at Craven Cottage but is expected to hold further talks with Celtic over the coming days.

In a statement last night, the club said: “Following speculation concerning the manager’s position at Celtic, the club can confirm that it is currently continuing its discussions with a number of excellent candidates. We will continue this process and select who we regard as the best appointment for Celtic.”