O’Neill: Roy’s Villa exit not snap decision

While much has been made of the timing and apparent abruptness of Roy Keane’s departure from Aston Villa – just 24 hours before a game at Burnley – Martin O’Neill has indicated that the matter was on his assistant’s mind for some time.

“We had a brief discussion about the issue just at the last international get-together,” said the Ireland manager yesterday. “I think he was more concerned about having that full commitment to the Aston Villa club job and ourselves. I’ve said in the past, and it’s worth reiterating, I never had a problem whatsoever about his commitment to the Republic of Ireland. Everything I was hoping he would bring to the table I thought he did do: commitment, enthusiasm, the strong desire we know he possesses.”

Indeed, Keane himself broached the subject of his dual club and country commitments when he was publicising his autobiography in early October.