O'Neill denies Keane was being nudged towards Ireland exit as Celtic consider swoop

IRELAND MANAGER MARTIN O’Neill insisted that there was no backroom revolution as Celtic closed in on Roy Keane last night.

Keane spoke with the Scottish champions earlier this week as they whittled down the list of candidates to replace Neil Lennon.

Following a day of fevered speculation, the Corkman emerged as a solid favourite to return to Celtic Park — and to quit his Ireland job just seven months after a sensational international comeback.

O’Neill said: “I would be disappointed obviously if he’s gone but a club like Celtic is a very, very big club and those particular offers don’t come around too often.”

In a statement of their own, Celtic said that they are continuing discussions “with a number of excellent candidates.”

“We will continue this process and select who we regard as the best appointment for Celtic.”

Ireland are due to fly out to London later today ahead of their friendly against Italy in Craven Cottage tomorrow evening.

The squad have been preparing in Malahide all week where coaches Steve Walford — a long-time confidant of O’Neill — and Steve Guppy have also joined the set-up.

Last night international midfielder Keith Andrews said “little alarm bells were ringing” when he saw Walford, not Keane, sitting next to O’Neill on the bench against Turkey.

But O’Neill dismissed the suggestion that his assistant would have been marginalised with the extra coaches on board.

Too many cooks? Guppy, Walford, O'Neill and Keane oversaw proceedings in Malahide this week while Seamus McDonagh worked with the goalkeepers. Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

“That is absolutely not the case,” he said.

“[Steve Walford and Steve Guppy] have come in here because we have a number of games in quick succession. Roy’s role has nothing whatsoever to do with that at all. Roy’s role has not been diminished at all.

What I would want from Roy, he has produced for me and produced in quantity. The players get on extremely well with him. He has been terrific, absolutely terrific, and there would be nobody more disappointed than myself if he left.

“Steve and Steve are in here at this minute because we have games in quick succession in a three-and-a-half week spell. That is not going to happen all the time and even if they were brought in, I think Steve Guppy and Steve Walford would have been very much on a part-time basis.”

O'Neill and Keane watched Ireland's U19s on Wednesday night as the Celtic rumours began to grow louder. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

The possibility that Keane would be headhunted for a top job in England or Scotland was always a threat to Ireland’s management double-act, O’Neill said, and revealed that Celtic are not the first suitors to come knocking since their appointment last November.

“I kind of felt when I took him on in the first place for the course of the next 18 months to two years that this kind of thing was likely to happen.

He was coming right back into high profile again and perhaps I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.

“Celtic is one [option]. He has had a number of offers as well too from other football clubs so he obviously has a lot to consider.”

Asked whether Keane could take the Celtic job and remain in his Ireland position, O’Neill said that he hasn’t had time to discuss that option yet, though he accepted that the pressures of full-time management would probably rule it out.

Keane is due to travel to London with the team today, though whether he will still be around by the time they fly out to America is anyone’s guess.

“I’ve no regrets whatsoever,” O’Neill said. “We would all be disappointed — players, backroom staff and myself.”

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