Old school Roy can bring in new age of glory at Celtic says Jack
JACKIE McNAMARA was left in no doubt about Roy Keane’s menacing presence when he got caught between the Irishman and his nemesis Mick McCarthy.
And the Celtic icon is sure Keane’s abrupt touchline manner would go down a storm with Hoops supporters. He’s just not sure it would be to everyone’s liking in the dressing room.
Keane is back among the frontrunners to replace Neil Lennon at Parkhead seven years after coming close to doing exactly that when the Northern Irishman ended his first stint in charge.
McNamara thinks the former Sunderland and Ipswich boss would be a good fit despite not having been in charge of a club for a decade.
And he remembers seeing Keane’s brutally carefree attitude when he was a bystander in a confrontation between the Manchester United legend and McCarthy five years after their infamous Saipan set-to at the 2002 World Cup.
“I wouldn’t mind Roy Keane,” McNamara told 67 Hail Hail. “I liked him as a player and like him as a pundit. He doesn’t mess about with his words. I think he would do a good job, I’ve no doubt.
“I came up against him when he was manager at Sunderland and I was at Wolves.
“Big Mick was the manager of Wolves. It was an awkward moment between the two of them, I was talking to Mick and Roy came out. He speaks his mind, he’s not really bothered who he upsets on the way to a win.”
Keane spoke with Dermot Desmond in 2014 about succeeding Lennon but later claimed that the discussions “failed to rock my boat”.
McNamara added: “Maybe he’s got regrets about not taking it and wants a shot at it.
“I understand certain bits – he’s been out of club management for so long. He’d lean towards to the older-school approach. Some players don’t respond to that now. At the same time, the fans would want that passion”
Manchester City Academy chief Enzo Maresca is another favourite for the job.
The link with Fergal Harkin – currently football partnerships manager at Man City – to the Celtic director of football job increases the speculation.
Jackie said: “It looks like there’s something in that. You don’t know what the guy would be like until he took a top job himself.”