LIAM LAWRENCE ONCE told a good yarn about Roy Keane and so by decree of ancient custom, he must now be asked about Roy at all available opportunity. 

Lawrence was at the Aviva Stadium today to mark the fact that there are 500 days to go until the kick off of Euro 2020, along with launching the competition’s Volunteer Programme ahead of the four tournament games slated for Dublin. 

The cohort of the digital press to which The42 belongs were in generous mood however; not only were the Roy questions not asked first, they weren’t even the first Keane questions asked. 

First up, The Declan Rice Saga, which is on the verge of breaking out into The Declan Rice Hullabaloo if we don’t get a decision soon.

“I can’t understand the thinking of it”, said Lawrence.

He’s already played for Ireland. There’s a lot of talk about it at the moment as he’s such a huge talent, so we want to get him on board. I hope he makes that decision, because in the qualifying games, he’s going to be important.

“He’s a huge talent. Big clubs are looking at him already. For me, he’s a better version of Eric Dier at Spurs, and that’s a huge compliment.

“Let’s just see if we can get him on board, and if anyone can persuade him, Mick can.”

Lawrence played under Mick McCarthy at Sunderland, with Lawrence testifying that he is a “a great coach and he’s a good, honest man.” McCarthy was of course succeeded at Sunderland by Ro- okay, we’re getting to him. 

But before that: Keane, Will. 

The Ipswich striker is reportedly ready to play for Ireland now, having played for England at most of the underage grades you can name. Lawrence once chided Jermaine Pennant and Jamie O’Hara for considering Ireland only when their England prospects faded for good, so does he see a similar situation in Keane? 

“With Pennant and O’Hara they were in their mid-twenties. They knew that they weren’t going to play for England so they thought about declaring for Ireland.

“That’s just not for me. You know from a young age who you want to play for and where your allegiances lie.

“I don’t want to comment on [Will Keane] as I don’t know the ins and outs of it. Let’s just concentrate on getting Declan Rice in.” 

Liam Lawrence at the launch of the Volunteer Programme with Chris McElligott and Aine O'Gorman. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Right. Roy o’clock. 

For those unaware: Lawrence had a blazing training ground row with Roy in the early days of his reign at Sunderland, to which the manager responded by selling him to Stoke City. It got a mention in Keane’s second autobiography, in which Keane somewhat admires Lawrence for being the first player to stand up to him. 

Is Lawrence surprised to see Keane once again agree to work as an assistant manager, this time with Martin O’Neill at Nottingham Forest? 

“No, because he has followed Martin. They’d have worked together here, they know each other inside-out and Roy will probably bring a bit of steel and a kick up the backside for whoever needs it.” 

Does the modern player need a kick up the backside, Liam? 

Sometimes players need a bit of a push and a shove, but in the modern day with the modern player, you have to be careful. Some need an arm round them. It’s about recognising which players you can push the buttons with , and which ones you need to give a bit of a cuddle to, to get the best out of them.

Can Roy do that, Liam? Or is he too one-dimensional in his approach with players, Liam? 

“You guys will know, you’ll have seen things with Roy. He can be quite confrontational sometimes. It’s about adapting to modern football and the modern-day footballer, and if he does that, he won’t have a problem as he is actually a good coach.”

At this point The42 becomes oddly proud of himself for managing to crowbar in a third successive topic about a player called ‘Keane’. 

How’s Mick’s new assistant – and your former teammate – going to fare? 

“I think he is going to be brilliant. He is a great coach, he knows his football very well, I’ll tell you that. And he’s a good person. He’s a very good person. He will have the respect of every single player in the squad, so I think it’s a good appointment.

“You don’t finish your ‘B’ and your ‘A’ licence [Uefa-accredited coaching courses] while only being able to coach strikers. You have to have a wide-ranging coaching-ability to get that far. And now he is doing his pro licence, so he’ll have every qualification needed”.

With the Roy questions out of the way, Lawrence could start talking about himself. He too has completed his ‘B’ and ‘A’ licences, but is holding off from hurling himself into the bustle of getting his pro licence as he enjoys media work with Sky and TalkSPORT. 

He finished playing 18 months ago, having briefly turned out to play with non-league side Rushall Olympic as a favour to a friend. 

If the media work doesn’t work out, Lawrence says he might then pursue his pro licence. 

We finish up with a chat about Euro 2020. Will the promise of games in Dublin prove to be added motivation for the Irish players, or will it bring a rare and unfamiliar pressure? 

“It’ll be a great atmosphere I’m sure the Irish fans will mix with whatever fans are coming over and if we could qualify and make it it would add that carnival atmosphere.

I would think it would be motivation for the players. If I was in that squad and that was an incentive? I’d be motivated. Imagine playing at the Aviva with a full house. It would be unbelievable.

“I don’t think they’ll look at it and be scared of it, I think they’ll embrace it.”

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