ROY Keane hopes to have a positive impact as Aston Villa’s new assistant manager, but has insisted that he cannot “promise miracles”.
Speaking at a press conference at the club’s training ground Bodymoor Heath earlier this afternoon, the Cork man explained that he would use his experiences as player and manager to try and improve the team’s performances next season.
"I have some good experience from my playing days - some bad ones as well,” Keane said.
"I'll keep my job description pretty simple. I'm here to help the team and get results.
"I have some good experiences as a player and a manager and obviously he (Paul Lambert) thinks I can bring something to the party.
"I am not promising miracles but hopefully an improvement."
Keane – who will continue in his role as Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill’s number two – will work under current Villa boss Paul Lambert.
His new role will bring him back into the management of club football for the first time since he was sacked as Ipswich manager in January 2011, and he is looking forward to the new challenge.
"From my experience so far alongside Martin I am a bit more hands-on with the players, which I have enjoyed," he said.
"It is a different role with Villa but I can adapt and I think my experience as a manager will help because it is tough being a manager.
"Hopefully I will make Paul's job easier. Hopefully I am someone Paul can trust; (I can) talk to the players and staff."
Keane was most recently linked with a move to succeed Neil Lennon as Celtic boss, but he explained that the offer from Villa that allowed him to continue coaching the national team convinced him to return to the Premier League.
"I have thought about it. I've had three years off, I should be ready," he added.
"It was the whole package: that I know Paul, Villa is a top club, that I could continue working with the Irish team.
"You weigh all these things up and I kept coming up with the same conclusion.
"They (Villa) have had a difficult two or three years but that is part of the challenge. I am aware the club is for sale but that did not put me off.
"I have a chance to work with Paul at Villa: from a selfish point of view I think it would help me working with players in the Premier League.
"I am fortunate to be still working with the Irish team, I don't think it will be a problem working in the two roles."
O’Neill said of his managing assistant’s new coaching position with Villa: "Roy Keane is enthusiastic, he's knowledgeable and he's a bit fiery. He'll bring all of those things to Aston Villa and back into the Premier League.
"Keane will bring his personality to the Villa scene. If people have been saying things have gone a wee bit flat at Villa over the past few years, then Roy Keane is just the man, he will change that.
"He will bring life and vibrancy to Aston Villa, absolutely. Together he and Paul Lambert should be able to pull round Villa's fortunes."
