Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has dismissed claims that assistant manager Roy Keane left the club due to a bust-up with senior players.

Keane left his role at Villa Park last week, saying that he was struggling to balance the job with his position with the Republic of Ireland as well as his family life.

However, a report alleged that the 43-year-old parted company with the Villans after a row with several first-team players at the club's training ground, which Lambert has now vehemently refuted.

He told BBC Sport: "There were absolutely no problems with Roy Keane. He never had a break from Ireland and Aston Villa and I respect his decision to leave.

"There was no bust-up or arguing. I thank him for his time at the club."

Villa ended a run of nine games without a win as they recorded a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in their Premier League clash this evening.

Written by
Simon Sinclair