Manager Martin O'Neill and assistant manager Roy Keane (right) of Republic of Ireland chat during a training session in Dublin. Source: Getty Images
ON an icy day in the barren outskirts of Dublin town, the man with the iciest glare in football sits down in a packed hotel room, with the entire nation awaiting his words.
Roy Keane, who "divided families" after his infamous walkout from Ireland's 2002 World Cup squad, is now assistant manager of the national side, employed by the same organisation he ferociously criticised over training conditions and perceived executive pomp at the expense of the team's well-being.
His decision to accept the deputy's job by new manager Martin O'Neill has been the talk of Ireland this week and, in the eyes of some here, akin to Kim Jong-un joining the White House.
"It goes to show how strong Martin is, because unfortunately people might see me as a threat or a trouble maker of some sort, but hopefully Martin's seen something in me that I think I have a lot to offer," Keane said.
Asked if he must "tame" his approach in his new occupation, Keane replied: "I don't think it's something to tame, I am not an animal.
"I am a football man, I like to push people, I've got that wrong on one or two occasions over the years but generally when I look back I got a lot of it right.
"There's areas I need to look at, particularly as the assistant, when to stand back, hopefully I get that right as well.
"There is a way speaking to people, I understand that, ways of putting demands on them, you have to treat people with respect and hopefully the players, from the last few days, would appreciate that.
"I need to step back and let Martin run the show, I am here to help."
Keane's new boss is Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delany, the same who he tore apart during the Thierry Henry "handball" saga against Ireland in 2009.
"Who, John Delaney, I wouldn't take any notice of that man," Keane said then. "You know, [his] reaction, 'we've been robbed, the honesty of the game', people seem to forget what was going on in that [2002] World Cup - and that man's on about honesty."
Keane, who was captain of Ireland in 2002, believed Delaney could have done more to salvage the situation before he had a searingly heated argument with manager Mick McCarthy (Keane told him: "I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a f ... ing wanker and you can stick your World Cup up your arse. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your bollocks") before storming out of the team's camp on the Pacific island of Saipan.
Keane continued his 2009 rant against Delaney: "I was one of the players and he didn't have the courtesy to ring me. He got interviewed and all he said was 'I don't know where he is. He's on the island somewhere I think'.
"I've been involved in Ireland since I was 15 years of age and that man didn't even have the decency to make a phone call."
Keane was furious over the training conditions in Saipan, with potholes in the ground, while he was also livid when players flew economy when executives were in business class, and once the Ireland team was forced to eat cheese sandwiches before a match because pasta was not available.
Describing the environment yesterday, Keane, 42, smirked: "The hotel's been great, the food has been lovely, the training ground is lovely - no potholes, we've footballs, there's even bibs. Major progress."
He and Delaney have somehow managed to bury the hatchet, with Keane revealing the process was of his hiring was "very straightforward".
"Martin had already made contact with me, that was discussed, actually I think one of my strong points is that when I meet up with people and I've had disagreements with them before, that I'm quite happy to move on pretty quickly," Keane said.
"To be honest I'm going to disappoint you because it was very straightforward, we wanted what was best for Irish football.
"The past is the past."
Before long Keane, who has worked as a commentator since being sacked as Ipswich manager in 2011, was charming the 50-strong press pack.
Asked if he had consulted any of Ireland's current players when making his decision, Keane countered: "Absolutely not, none of their business, that's a ridiculous question" to the laughter of the gallery.
When it was suggested that because on his first day in the role on Monday he was the first to arrive, and then begun his highly-anticipated press conference early too, he was sending a message to the Ireland players, Keane retorted: "Don't be patting me on the back for that, if you can't get to training on time … you expect that from anybody, to be on time for work.
"Jesus, I'm not looking for miracles."
What is undoubted is the hard edge Keane will bring to the struggling Ireland side, who host Latvia at Lansdowne Road on Friday night local time, their first outing under the new management duo.
It was Keane's hardness that frightened even his former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who wrote in his recently released autobiography that his former captain had "the most savage tongue you can imagine".
"He can debilitate the most confident person in the world in seconds with that tongue," Ferguson continues.
"What I noticed that day when I was arguing with him was that his eyes started to narrow, almost to wee black beads. It was frightening to watch - and I'm from Glasgow."
Ferguson claims in his book that the Manchester United dressing room was relieved to see Keane go, adding that the skipper became more divisive as his skills deteriorated with age.
Keane essentially labelled Ferguson a liar yesterday, but left the reporters unfulfilled and tantalised.
"The beauty of football is that everybody has opinions and I've no problem with that," Keane said.
"The issue I have is when anybody who seems to talk about me, or has issues with what I've said in the past, and people will just tell lies about me, that's when I'll come out and defend myself.
"I am not going to sit here and defend myself regarding Alex Ferguson. That's for another day."
And he certainly wasn't apologising for the attitude he is taking into Ireland's dressing room as they seek to qualify for the 2016 European Championship.
"I'm not here to try to change anyone's opinions about myself or the decisions I've made in the past," Keane said.
"I spent years trying to please everyone and trust me, it's a waste of time and energy.
"A lot of the criticism I've faced in the last 15, 20 years is that I'm very demanding, I don't settle for second best. I certainly won't apologise for that, it's part of my make-up."
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