Roy Keane has said he may never manage again despite being linked with the Ireland job.

After backing Martin O’Neill to succeed Giovanni Trapattoni, Keane told the Irish Sun that he is no rush for a return to management.

Asked about the Ireland job and his future, he said, “First of all, nobody has approached me about the job and secondly, I do not know if I will ever return to management.

“I loved my time at Sunderland, had a bad experience at Ipswich but right now, when I look at the pressures that’s associated with football management I ask myself do I really need it?

“Football management is a 24-hour task and maybe I’m missing certain skills to be a successful one, but who knows what’s around the corner.”

Speaking at a function in his native Cork, Keane did offer his support to former Celtic manager O’Neill for the Ireland job.

“A lot of managers have been linked with it, a lot of good managers. There are plenty of favorites. I’d know a lot about Martin O’Neill. I think Martin would be a very good choice, a good guy for the job,” Keane said.

“I think the FAI have done the right thing in stepping back and taking their time.

“There are a lot of good managers out there who are out of work.  I have not thought too much about it to be honest. I have more important things to be worrying about.”

The former Ireland captain also suggested that the current crop of Irish players isn’t as bad as some would make out.

He stressed, “I don’t think it is as bad as everyone is making out. There are young players coming through and it is a good job for a manager. Definitely.”

Currently employed as a TV pundit in England, Keane is no hurry to return to the dug-out.

“I enjoy working the guys but in reality it’s filling a gap as I just love football and I will continue to do so till the day I die,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Dutch boss Dick Advocaat has confirmed that he has applied to the FAI for the Ireland manager’s job. Fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink has also been linked with the position but has no plans to return to management in the short term after a hip replacement.

Mick McCarthy is now the bookies favorite with speculation in England that O’Neill is set to return to club management.