Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane have become the Republic of Ireland's managerial dream team.
The 61-year-old Ulsterman and the 42-year-old former Manchester United and Ireland skipper have signed initial two-year contracts after concluding talks with the Football Association of Ireland.
The news came on Tuesday evening hours after FAI chief executive John Delaney confirmed that talks were at an advanced stage.
“I don’t see any impediment to that [signing contracts] happening,” he said. “By this Saturday there will be an unveiling of our new management.”
And the Football Association of Ireland confirmed on their Twitter page this evening that both deals have been concluded.
The Tweet read: "The Football Association of Ireland can confirm that both contracts have been signed. Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane will be Ireland's new manager and assistant manager."
The pair were undertaking punditry duties for ITV ahead of Manchester United's Champions League clash with Real Sociedad when the news broke and Keane admitted he was honoured to be invited to take the 'exciting' role.
When asked by Adrian Chiles if it was a marriage made in heaven, O'Neill responded: "I'm the bad cop and he's the bad, bad cop."
Keane was captain of the Republic when he fell out with boss Mick McCarthy after heavily criticising the team’s training facilities and programme in the build-up to the 2002 World Cup.
Delaney insists there is no bitternes and said: “Roy and I would not have had much contact in the past but we met last week and there were no problems whatsoever. The meeting was absolutely brilliant from my point of view and I think from his too. It was all about the future, not the past. Irish football and our country is bigger than anything. Two icons of Irish football can work together with us. The past is in the past.”
It is reported that the FAI, with support from businessman Denis O’Brien, will pay O’Neill £1million a year and Keane £590,000.
O’Neill was sacked by Sunderland in March while Keane has not managed since he was axed by Ipswich in 2011.
