Roy Keane resigns as Aston Villa assistant manager with immediate effect

Roy Keane

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has resigned as the assistant manager of Aston Villa with immediate effect. There was an improvement in Villa’s performance following Keane’s appointment, but the performances of the club haven’t seen an improvement in recent weeks.

Found it hard to handle two jobs at once: Keane

The 43-year-old, who is also the assistant coach for the Republic of Ireland, said that he wasn’t able to do both the jobs at the same time and hence took the decision to leave the club.

“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,” he said.

He also thanked Villa manager Paul Lambert and wished the club the very best for the future.

“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,” Keane said.

Understand why Keane quit: Villa boss Lambert

Lambert confirmed the news, saying that he understands why Keane wants to leave the job and respects his decision.

“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," he concluded.

Keane joined the club in July after declining an offer made by Celtic football Club. He had said at the time that he was looking forward to working at the club and improving his coaching skills.

Villa CEO thanks Keane

CEO of the club Tom Fox thanked Keane for his contributions to Aston Villa. “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.” he said.