Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane has ridiculed the notion of footballers expressing concussion concerns related to heading the ball.

The ex-Manchester United midfielder said that players with such fears should "play chess" instead.

Keane's comments come hot on the heels of former Ireland international Kevin Doyle's retirement, with the forward quitting the sport due to persistent head injures.

"If you're worried about the physical side of any sport - and you're wary of it - then play chess," The Mirror quotes Keane as saying.

"It's part of the game whether it's hurling, American football... you see the rugby lads. It's part of the game.

"When you cross that line, there is an element of risk involved. I think the players who are playing now really, it wouldn't make any difference to them, they all want to be footballers."

Doyle, who played for Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace before joining Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, cited chronic headaches as the reason behind his retirement, calling his symptoms "problematic".