Former Ireland player Mark Lawrenson has welcomed the idea of Roy Keane taking over from Stephen Kenny but does not believe it will happen.
This week, Kenny was relieved of his duties with Ireland, and with that, a new search for an Ireland manager has begun.
Several names have already been linked to the role. They include the likes of former Ireland internationals Lee Carsley, Roy Keane, former England players Steve Bruce, and many others.
With some bookmakers, Keane, a former Ireland captain and assistant manager, has become the favourite to replace Kenny full-time. However, Lawrenson, who played 39 times for Ireland, does not believe a Keane Ireland reunion will happen, even if he'd like it to happen.
“It would be great fun if Roy Keane took the job, but I can’t see it happening. Football is different now, and I don’t think he’d want it.
“It would be fantastic if Lee took the job and would be a nice story for a former player to become the manager, but the problem would be that if he lost a couple of games, people would get on his back about his lack of managerial experience, so for me, it needs to be someone with more experience.”
Former Manchester United player Roy Keane would be Mark Lawrenson's pick for Ireland boss (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)The other candidate to replace Kenny is former Ireland player Lee Carsley. Carsley is currently employed by the English FA and acts as the manager of the U-21 side. His rolling contract with the English footballing body means that there could be room for negotiations. However, Lawrenson does not believe that Carsley will leave a more secure England job for a tougher job with Ireland.
“There is talk of Lee Carsley coming in to take over from Stephen Kenny, and he played for the Republic of Ireland in his career, but it’s about the players.
“Stephen Kenny brought a lot of players through, and there are now far more players playing in the Premier League now than when he started. He put a lot of good things in place and seems like he’s a nice guy, but you can understand why he’s lost his job because the results weren’t good enough. I feel that the team will get better, and everyone keeps saying it’s going to be Lee Carsley, but I’m not sure he’ll want to leave the England U21 job, where it’s a much easier job."
Mark Lawrenson was speaking to Paddy Power
