Keane has spoken out for the first time over his departure from Wearside

Roy Keane has admitted his unhappiness at the events which led him to resign as Sunderland manager in December.

Keane said his relationship with Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn had changed after the arrival of majority shareholder Ellis Short in September.

"Quinn was talking about the players needing to come into work with a smile. That concerned me," Keane told The Irish Times.

"I felt Short was thinking from the start that I wasn't for him."

The former Republic of Ireland captain arrived at the Stadium of Light in August 2006 and earned promotion from the Championship in 2007.

Keane believes that he enjoyed a good working relationship with Quinn at the beginning of his tenure, under the Irish Drumaville consortium.

However he claims the situation changed when Texas-based private equity tycoon Short became the biggest investor in Sunderland in September 2008.

"We had sat down with him a couple of times, Niall and I," Keane said.

When I became a manager, Niall became a chairman. I always believed we were working together Roy Keane

"I went down to London to meet him twice. I thought, hmm, the dynamics are changing here.

"He said he had read my book. He sort of knew this wasn't going to be a long-term relationship. It started with a demand to know where I had been the previous day, that he wanted me available at all times.

"It was a disappointment. Then there were accusations about how often I came in, about moving my family up. And it was the tone," he added.

Keane also admitted that he was disappointed in Quinn's apparent change in attitude over his managerial style.

"The day I walked into Sunderland, putting a smile on the faces of well-paid players was the last thing anybody wanted me to do.

Happier times for Keane, on becoming Sunderland manager in August 2006

"It was the undercurrent. Where it was coming from.

"Smiles on players' faces? It's my job to get them training well," said the ex-Manchester United midfielder.

"There was good spirit. That's what had kept us in the Premiership last year. Our spirit. That got the alarm bells ringing.

"Without a shadow of a doubt. The American fella would have been on Niall's case.

"When I became a manager, Niall became a chairman. I always believed we were working together, not one working for the other.

"It worked well. I couldn't have faked that if I didn't feel it working.

"I was more comfortable with Drumaville. I never saw them after matches, I think, but they stuck to what agreement we had."

Despite the circumstances surrounding his departure from Wearside, the Irishman said that he would like to return to management in the future.

"I'd be happy to go anywhere. I would be happy to manage a Championship club."

"I'm happy to move house. I’m not tied to Manchester."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version