Roy Keane’s presence as the assistant manager at Aston Villa appears to have made a profound impact. Just days after manager Paul Lambert said that it was a pleasure to have the former Manchester United captain assisting him. Now, it is the turn of goalkeeper Shay Given to lavish praise on the former Sunderland manager. After having witnessed Keane from close quarters, Given says that Keane has been giving a lot of advice to the players. This, according to Given, helps them a lot because Keane is someone who has achieved a lot in the game.

Keane appears to have given up on a permanent managerial position as of now. After repeated failures of Sunderland and Ipswich Town, it is understood that he is taking time to rethink about being a manager once again. A potential return in the future cannot be ruled out, as his experiences under Lambert and Gordon Strachan could help him a lot. Apart from being the assistant manager at Villa, Keane is also the assistant to Strachan at the Republic of Ireland national team. Given says that the media perception about the Irishman is very different from what he is as a person.

Over the years, Keane has made several friends and harsh critics of his game and managerial style. “I’ve known Roy for a number of years, obviously with the Irish connections and playing alongside him. It’s great to have him here; he’s a real leader, a character and a great assistant for the manager. He’s a manager himself in his own right – with the two of them at the helm it’s great for the club. He always gets talked about for his dark side and shouting at people but he’s been very helpful for all the players. He’s been out there coaching as well and giving players lots of advice,” said Given.