REPUBLIC OF IRELAND manager Martin O'Neill has offered his full and unreserved support to Roy Keane following an alleged altercation with a fan at the team hotel in Dublin on Wednesday night.
In a video statement uploaded to the FAI website yesterday, O'Neill said: "The FAI and I have been fully briefed about the circumstances that happened at the team hotel last night. Roy asked that the Gardai be called and he has notified them of what happened. "While this process is ongoing, we are unable to say more at this stage. However, I can say that having been made aware of the facts, Roy has both my full support and the support of the FAI and John Delaney." Although Ireland officials - and now their manager - have moved to back their assistant manager, it is hardly ideal timing as O'Neill's men prepare for tonight's crunch Euro 2016 qualifier with Scotland in Glasgow. "We are now focused, as we have been all week, on the game in hand and we won't be saying more anything more on this issue," added O'Neill.
Keane was also criticised for launching his second autobiography - The Second Half - two days before Ireland's clash with Gibraltar last month but with two wins and a draw against world champions Germany in their opening three European Championship Qualifiers, the partnership appears to be working. Unsurprisingly, the first question at last night's press conference at Celtic Park surrounded the incident at the Portmarnock-based hotel, with O'Neill preferring to focus on football matters. "Roy is fine, he's okay. He's here with us. The incident is over. That's it."