Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland's Robbie Keane demands Martin O'Neill contract extension

By Shane Callaghan, Reporter | 11 November 2015

Robbie Keane urges the FAI to offer Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill a new contract regardless of how their Euro 2016 qualification journey ends.

Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane has warned the Football Association of Ireland that it would be "silly" to not award manager Martin O'Neill with a new contract.

O'Neill - along with assistant Roy Keane - is coming to the end of his two-year deal, but a Euro 2016 playoff tie with Bosnia-Herzegovina looms larger for the Boys in Green.

The 63-year-old led them to third place in a group which included Poland and Germany - whom the Irish beat 1-0 in September - and Keane says that an extension should be a no-brainer.

"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 hitman told reporters.

"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."

Ireland travel to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday, before welcoming them to Dublin for the second leg on Tuesday.