Friday 28 November 2014 19:53, UK
Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill believes burnout may have caused Roy Keane to leave his job as Aston Villa assistant manager.
The Irishman quit as Paul Lambert's No 2 on Friday, just 24 hours before their Premier League clash at Burnley.
Keane is also O'Neill's assistant with Ireland and the former Manchester United player suggested combining the two roles had become too much for him.
Roy being the perfectionist he is wanted to give everything to every single cause, but I think maybe a bit of family time now is perhaps something which is missing.
Former Villa manager O'Neill believes Keane needs to take a break having done both jobs since the summer.
"He didn't have any holiday – he went straight from international duty with us in America to the job at Aston Villa and eventually those things catch up with you, one side of Christmas or the other," he told FAI TV.
"Roy, being the perfectionist he is, wanted to give everything to every single cause, but I think maybe a bit of family time now is perhaps something which is missing.
"We had a big discussion about the issue at the last international get-together. He was more concerned about having that full commitment to Villa and to ourselves.
"I said in the past and it's worth reiterating – I never had a problem with his commitment to the Republic of Ireland. Everything I was hoping he would bring to the table – commitment, enthusiasm, the strong desire we know he
possesses – haven't been a problem.
"I am delighted the Republic of Ireland have been his first choice."
