“We can’t win a game where we don’t play”.
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Keane infamously walked out on his country’s World Cup finals campaign in 2002 after a row with then manager Mick McCarthy over their preparations for the tournament in Japan and South Korea. That, however, has been the primary fuel throughout their qualification from the toughest group in Europe and it was the main asset that took them past a Bosnia-Herzegovina side that may have a few better technicians but who ended up soundly beaten.
“I’m going to meet Martin over the next few weeks”, Keane said.
The former Manchester United captain was quoted as saying by the BBC: “I think that Martin [O’Neill] knows I have that ambition to get back in the ring”. Shay Given, the goalkeeper for both games against Estonia, seemed to have reclaimed the starting spot under O’Neill until he was injured against Germany.
Bosnia have never qualified for the Euros while Ireland were unbeaten in their past six competitive matches at the Aviva Stadium and had the advantage of an away goal from the first leg. “He’s an iconic figure – sometimes he polarises opinion, certainly not in the dressing room – and we are all delighted with him”. The hosts were simply better in every department, bullying the visitors in the first half and taking their chances when they arrived. “I would never in my life give the penalty they gave against us”, he said.
Questioned by Irish broadcaster RTE after the Irish booked their ticket to Euro 2016, Keane said: “We’ve been down this road before”.
“I’m not really one for networking or applying for jobs, but I’m enjoying my role here”.
“It is a flawless balance and we’ve got a good team spirit”.
He said: “These boys have all contributed and they have played in a lot of the bigger games earlier in the group, and they won’t be giving up their places easily, let me tell you”.
Keane paid special tribute to two-goal hero Jonathan Walters, a player he tried desperately to hold on to when he was manager of Ipswich Town.
“That moment when the referee blows the whistle and you are in France, it is just very, very special, very special indeed”.
“When I look back I’ll think this is a very, very proud moment”. “It’s new for the manager, it’s new for me and the other staff but we have enough experience under our belts to deal with the challenge”.
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“But for Roy, it is not a rehabilitation, but it is him stamping his authority as a No 2, putting little things that end up being big things to a group of young players that are emerging and have had the benefit of all his expertise and experience”.
