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<\/p>\nRoy Keane had to \u2018suppress\u2019 his managerial instincts while working under Martin O\u2019Neill, who has lifted the lid on the fiery Manchester United icon and pundit. <\/p>\n
Keane was assistant to O\u2019Neill at both Nottingham Forest and Ireland. Those roles came after a mixed spell in management with Sunderland and Ipswich. Keane led the Black Cats to promotion to the Premier League but was sacked by Ipswich after less than two years in charge.<\/p>\n
Keane is now a no-nonsense pundit with Sky Sports and ITV, where he is just as combative as during his playing days. O\u2019Neill has seen another side of Keane, describing the Irishman as \u2018terrific\u2019 and a \u2018joy to work with\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople always want to know what he's really like. For the younger generation, he's the one everyone wants to know about,\u201d 'Martin O'Neill exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Roy Keane's life away from Sky Sports \u2013 mega mansions, adoring wife and his 'only two passions' <\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cThe answer about Roy is that, quite simply, he was terrific. He was terrific for me, he was terrific for the Republic of Ireland, and he was a big part of proceedings.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe'd been a manager, himself, so there were times where he'd have to suppress. It's just in Roy's nature to always let you know what he's feeling, and that was fine; it's exactly what you want.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when the time came for me to pick my team, or make any decision, Roy would be absolutely fine with that, and if things didn't work out, he's not the type of person who would come back to me and tell me if he thought his ideas would've worked better.<\/p>\n
Would you like to see Roy Keane back in management? Tell us in the comments section below<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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\u201cRoy was a joy to work with. All of the things that you think you know about Roy, you'd probably be right in thinking them.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill also critiqued Keane\u2019s illustrious playing career, where his leadership and will to win was a key component of Sir Alex Ferguson\u2019s success-filled reign.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cTo me, when you're a manager\u2026 take Sir Alex Ferguson, for example. He's working with a really talented group of players, day in, day out, for years at Manchester United. And while ultimately you're the one who makes all the decisions, you still need someone to drive your team on. Roy did that.<\/p>\n
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\u201cNot for a game or two, not for six months, or a year… he did that for over a decade. He was that driving force, every week, wanting to win, pushing everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, Roy's got great enthusiasm for the game. He had little bits of everything. Was he as good a goalscorer as Paul Scholes? Not necessarily. Could he dribble as well as Ryan Giggs? I'm not so sure about that. Could he deliver a ball like David Beckham? No, he couldn't. But Roy had a bit of everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played against Bryan Robson quite a lot in my career, and he was just a terrific footballer. He could get up and down the pitch, all day long, he could score goals, he was as brave as a lion… and Roy had all of those attributes. Roy, vocally, drove all of his players on. Bryan might have been less vocal, but both led by example.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou can't have success, as a manager, without someone like Roy on the pitch for you, driving the team on, week-in, week-out.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill would like to see Keane return to management, insisting he still has a lot to offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was hoping we'd see him back in the dugout again,\u201d added the former Celtic and Leicester boss. \u201cI thought he did an excellent job with Sunderland, especially considering it was his first job. There was once a possibility of him returning there, maybe a couple of years ago, but I'm not sure what happened there.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMaybe if you asked him, he'd let you know, but I was hoping he'd take that job again. Having done so well there, having been a fan favourite, I thought that might have happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven't spoken to Roy now for some time, and he may still be keen on another step into management. But he's doing an excellent job with his punditry, and he's got so much more that he's doing at this moment in time. Maybe he's not that concerned about managing anymore. I just don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n