Roy Keane: ‘Obviously I want to stay on for the Euros’

“We can’t win a game where we don’t play”.

O’Neill said: “I have had to make a few big decisions for players during the natural course of management, but the biggest decision was bringing Roy Keane in and he has been absolutely phenomenal, phenomenal”.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s manager Mehmed Bazdarevic reflected sombrely on his sides ultimately failed attempt to qualify for next summer’s European Championships when he appeared in front of the press following his sides’ 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Monday.

“I thought the Germany night last month was just wonderful, but I think it was eclipsed tonight”.

If Slovenia somehow pull off an upset and get past Ukraine, there is a chance that Ireland could leapfrog Turkey into Pot 3, but it seems unlikely.

“I’m not really one for networking or applying for jobs, but I’m enjoying my role here”. His whipped cross was too much for Vranjes to deal with and his attempted clearance fell kindly to Walters who showed great composure once more, volleying home past Begovic at the near post.

“I’m very, very proud to be Irish and of the players who are here and the players who are not here also, the players who have contributed as well, the Shays [Given], the Stephen Quinns, Paul McShanes, people like that who have been here from the start”. But it was still in our hands – I sat in this very room and said it was still in our hands.

Eyebrows were raised in November 2013 when the FAI announced that Keane would be O’Neill’s assistant for the upcoming qualifying campaign for the 2016 European Championship in France.

He said: “I’m going to meet with Martin over the next couple of weeks. They have put heart and soul into the games, they’ve carried us through matches when maybe we’ve missed that piece of absolute genius”, O’Neill told a news conference.

“When he first spoke to me, I never hesitated and it’s been justified”.

“They have given everything and I don’t think they had anything left to give. I don’t know”, added Keane.

“It’s unbelievable. We’re through and that’s all that matters”, he said.

It has worked out a treat. Obviously if we didn’t get the result last night there would have been a slightly different way of looking at it but it has been everything I had hoped it would be.

Walters, back in the team after suspension, got his first goal with a disputed penalty midway through the first half and made it 2-0 on 70 minutes.