Roy Keane set to become assistant at Aston Villa

Aston Villa are ready to announce the appointment of Roy Keane as assistant boss within the next 24 hours.

Villa manager Paul Lambert has turned to the fiery former Sunderland and Ipswich boss to provide fresh inspiration to a squad which has struggled through successive survival battles in the Premier League. Villa have thrashed out a deal which will enable the Corkman to combine his new role with the assistant manager's position he has taken under Martin O'Neill with the Republic of Ireland.

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Keane arrives as a replacement in Lambert's management structure for the two aides sacked at the end of last season, coach Ian Culverhouse and head of football operations Gary Karsa.

The job-share arrangement will save Villa money at a time when every penny is being counted at the club and owner Randy Lerner is keeping investment to a minimum.

The Premier League club expect Keane to be with them for all of the pre-season sessions – the players report back on July 7 – at a time when the future of other key figures remain the subject of speculation.