Roy Keane has insisted he wouldn't go and watch a struggling team with a view to taking over as manager amid speculation linking him with Celtic. The Manchester United legend caused a stir last month by attending the Hoops' Old Firm home defeat to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
Keane's stance on watching under-pressure managers
Seven days after losing to the Gers at Ibrox in the Scottish League Cup, Keane's appearance in the stands led to suggestions he would be interested in taking over from close pal Martin O'Neill, who said he would consider his future during the current international break. However, recent comments by Keane suggest he is not thinking of replacing O'Neill, with whom he worked at Nottingham Forest and Ireland.
Speaking on The Overlap, he said: "I wouldn’t go and watch a manager under pressure. I know plenty who do that."
Managerial itch remains
That isn't to say Keane is done with management, 15 years following his last top job at Ipswich Town. The former Sunderland boss previously revealed he still gets the managerial itch from time to time. He told Sky Sports: "At weekends, when I'm watching games, there are teams I watch and I think, 'I could go in there and do a job.'
"But it's mostly at weekends, it's not Monday morning when I'm having my scrambled egg at the local cafe! All these managers driving up on the motorway now and stresses…But yeah, I do think there’s always something there. The pilot light is still on for something. If someone gave me a phone call, who knows? It's going to be unlikely."
Keane added: "I've had opportunities over the last few years but then there's contracts and staff issues and you go, 'Really?' Sometimes you go, 'Stick to what you’re doing.'"
O'Neill's future at Celtic
It remains to be seen whether the Celtic job will be up for grabs soon. Following his side's latest defeat to Rangers - their third loss in eight days - O'Neill said: "I genuinely will reflect and see." He then joked: "I'll be 110 in two years' time so it might be time to wrap it up."
Despite that, chief executive Michael Nicholson has indicated that O'Neill is set to remain in charge, having vowed to support the 74-year-old. As Celtic released their annual accounts, which showed a £4.8million loss, he said last month: "Having started well in the Premiership this season, we experienced disappointment in the UEFA Champions League play-off.
"Reaching the league phase of the Champions League is an objective for us all, and we are sorry not to have achieved it. On top of that, the losses in the last week have been painful for us all. We will now come together and support Martin and the players, as we focus our efforts on achieving success domestically and in the Europa League."
