Roy Keane quits Aston Villa: Keane leaves role as Paul Lambert's assistant after just four months
Keane says that he can't commit to both jobs as much as he'd like and has chosen to relinquish his role as assistant manager at Villa
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Roy Keane has quit his role as assistant manager to Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert due to his inability to commit to the job as well as his position with the Republic of Ireland as much as he'd like.
Keane took up the job with Villa on 1 July this year ahead of the new season, but chose to continue in his position of assistant manager to Martin O'Neill with the Irish national team.
Villa confirmed the news on their official Twitter account, posting a tweet that read: "Roy Keane has relinquished his role as #AVFC assistant manager with immediate effect. Full details to follow on our website."
Keane said: "Ultimately, my roles with Villa and Ireland and combining my commitment to these have become too much."
Keane still managed to hit the headlines despite no longer featuring on the pitch. Both he and Lambert had a run-in with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese attempted to shake their hands before the final whistle had blown during the Blues' 3-0 victory earlier this season.
He also hit out at Everton manager Roberto Martinez for making the most of injuries to Ireland internationals Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy in order to prevent them playing for the national side. Martinez furiously rejected the claims, while Everton chairman Bill Kenwright dismissed Keane's comments as "stupid things".
Keane also released his latest autobiography in October 2014 that caused a stir across the football world, which criticised the likes of his former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Earlier this month - ahead of the Republic of Ireland's 2016 European Championship qualifier against Scotland - Keane was involved in an altercation with a fan, who was believed to have asked for an autograph. It later emerged that Keane rang the Guardai himself.
On his resignation, Keane said in a statement: "Ultimately, my roles with Villa and Ireland and combining my commitment to these have become too much. It isn't fair to either Villa or Ireland, so I've made this decision.
"I'd like to thank Paul for giving me a great opportunity to come to a brilliant football club, I've really enjoyed my experiences at Villa and I wish the management team, the players, the supporters and the club nothing but the best going forward."
Lambert added: "Roy came to me this morning and he informed me that, ultimately, the difficulty of combining both roles has prompted his decision, which I respect totally.
"In the brief period we have worked together he has been great in the role and I understand his reasons for leaving."
Villa, who are winless in their last eight league games and just two points above the relegation zone, will look to replace Keane as soon as possible.
Chief executive Tom Fox said: "We thank Roy for his time at the club and we wish him the best with Ireland.
"Our focus now will be on working with Paul to identify the right person to work alongside him and to help us continue on our journey to return the club to its rightful place in the Premier League."
Additional reporting from PA
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments