Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane has backed manager Martin O Neill to remain in charge, stating the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) would be silly not to offer him a new contract.
O Neill is approaching the end of the two-year deal he signed in November 2013, with reports suggesting an extension to his deal has already been tabled.
Ahead of their European Championship qualification play-off with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Keane backed his manager and reiterated the squad s desire to reach the Euro 2016 in France next year.
I think you ve seen from the very, very start of the campaign that as a group we ve grown into it, the 35-year-old told a news conference.
It d be silly if the manager didn t get a new contract but we certainly want to finish this campaign off qualifying for France and we started the campaign off with that goal in mind.
We d be disappointed if we didn t do it.
Keane has scored five goals in nine qualifiers for the European Championship and will likely be tasked with helping his side past Bosnia-Herzegovina over the coming days.
The LA Galaxy striker is his country s leading goalscorer and insists he is not finishe
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d yet, adding: I still have a lot to offer.
I ve scored 20 goals in 24 games for Galaxy this year so it s not like I m kind of on my way out. I can still score goals if I get the opportunities.
If I m called upon anywhere I can play. Every player wants to play but the manager has to make a decision that s right for the team and the team is more important than any individual.
Keane will not contest a place in attack with Shane Long for Friday s first leg, with the Southampton forward ruled out due to an ankle injury.
Long, who scored the winning goal when Ireland stunned Germany 1-0 in the penultimate game of their Group D campaign, is still in with a chance of lining up for the second leg at the Aviva Stadium.
[Shane] got a great boost from scoring against Germany and didn t play that long against Poland before he was injured, and remember he hasn’t done that much work since, O Neill said.
But he is improving and he feels that. I think sometimes along the way you have to try and go with the players that you know here that are available and that can actually start a game for you.
