Players cheered when told Keane had left job

Furious bust-up was catalyst for Aston Villa exit

ROY KEANE’S shock departure from Aston Villa was preceded by a furious bust-up with senior professionals at the Premier League club, leading to players celebrating at the training ground when they learned the news he had resigned.

The Ireland assistant manager walked out of his role with the former European champions just five months after joining as Paul Lambert’s No. 2.

On Friday, Lambert insisted the former Ireland and Manchester United captain’s departure had come as a complete surprise and was his own decision. Keane himself has insisted that he wanted to quit coaching at Villa to concentrate on his role as Martin O’Neill’s deputy within the Ireland set-up.

But Sportsmail understands that several senior professionals in Lambert’s squad had become increasingly agitated by Keane’s style and unique personal touch, and celebrated his departure.

Matters came to head towards the end of Thursday’s training session, which was to prove Keane’s last at the club.

He had a frank exchange with at least three players as the session was ending, and the row is believed to have escalated again afterwards. Less than 24 hours later Keane announced his decision to quit.

According to Ireland boss O’Neill on Friday, the 43-year-old had been planning this decision from earlier in the month when they faced Scotland in a Euro 2016 qualifier.

‘We had a brief discussion at the last international get together and I think Roy was more concerned about having that full

commitment to the Aston Villa club job and ourselves,’ he said.

‘Roy, being the perfectionist he is, wants to give everything to every single cause, and he was worried about this commitment issue of carrying both roles.’

However, if that was indeed the case, the incidents on Thursday – only 48 hours before Villa’s 1-1 draw with Burnley in the Premier League – hastened the move. It’s just the latest episode in the 43year-old’s combative and combustible career and comes at the end of a year in which he has been at the centre of focus with Ireland.

Whether it was holding talks with Celtic about taking charge at Parkhead following Neil Lennon’s departure, or the release of his latest autobiography in October, Keane has remained under the spotlight.

It intensified in the days leading up to that crucial qualifier in Glasgow when O’Neill says his deputy was having doubts maintaining his role at Villa Park. An incident with one-time associate Frank Gillespie at the team hotel in Dublin, which led to the latter being taken to hospital, overshadowed the preparation for the game and Keane came out fighting his corner in the aftermath.

He was involved in a heated exchange with two journalists who questioned him about his actions and provided a typically honest and robust defence. Now, it seems, tempers have been raised again.