Odds slashed on Roy Keane returning to football for first managerial role in 12 years

Manchester United legend Roy Keane is now one of the favourites to become the next manager of the Ireland national team.

Keane has been out of management since 2011, when he left Championship side Ipswich Town.

His role at the Tractor Boys was his second managerial position, after a successful near two-and-a-half year stint at Sunderland between 2006 and 2008.

Keane took over a Black Cats side that were bottom of the Championship in August 2006 before guiding them to the league title in the same season.

The Irishman then stabilised the club back in the Premier League before resigning in December 2008.

Since his time at Ipswich, Keane has held assistant manager roles at Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

He now works as a pundit for ITV and Sky Sports - but may soon have the opportunity to return to management.

Betfair now have Keane as the favourite to take over the Ireland head coach role, following the departure of Stephen Kenny.

The Irishman has been priced up at 15/8 at the time of writing to take the role - having been 9/1 earlier in the week. He is ahead of England U21 head coach Lee Carsley, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon and ex-Brighton manager Chris Hughton.

But former Liverpool and Ireland centre-back Mark Lawrenson has doubts over whether Keane would want the role, should it be offered to him by the FAI.

He told Paddy Power: "It would be great fun if Roy Keane took the job, but I can't see it happening.

"Football is different now, and I don't think he'd want it."

Keane was previously assistant manager of Ireland under Martin O'Neill, having picked up 67 caps for the national team during his playing career.

He has been linked with returns to management before now.

On an episode of The Overlap, he told former United team-mate Gary Neville that he held talks with an unnamed Championship club over becoming their manager in the summer of 2021, and was approached by former club Celtic on two occasions.

He also had talks with Sunderland in 2022 following the sacking of Lee Johnson, but turned the offer down. Former Norwich and Preston North End boss Alex Neil subsequently took the role.