Eamon Dunphy on the ‘dark side’ of Roy Keane as he makes Declan Rice claim

Dunphy was ghost writer for Keane’ first autobiography in 2002 and took his side in his infamous falling-out with Ireland moss Mick McCarthy in Saipan, that led to his exit from the World Cup.

That loyalty to Keane was not rewarded with a long-standing friendship as Dunphy suggested Keane’s explosive temperament makes him a tough character to deal with.

"I actually finished the book the night before they flew to Saipan,” reflected Dunphy.

"I thought Mick made too much of it. If we had him (at the World Cup), we might have won the damn thing or get to the semi-final. South Korea got to that semi.

"Losing Roy was terrible as he contributed so much to to us getting there, but I don’t think Mick and Roy ever got on. Even when they were team-mates.”

Dunphy went on to open up on his dealings with Keane, as he suggested he enjoyed his time in his company.

"Roy's a special light. He asked me to write the book, I didn't ask to write it - which I regard as a compliment,” he stated.

"I found him and his wife and their children [to be a] lovely home - a lovely, happy family. Very nice man, very charming man - but there's another side of Roy, a dark side.

“I don't see him a kindred spirit at all. First of all, I could play and I would be a much more softer piece of work than Roy.

"The reverse side of Roy is tough. You can see it in him.

"He's intolerant and it's a shame as I remember talking about it with John (Giles) when he went into management at Sunderland. We had great hopes, we thought he was some leader as a player - and he was a great, great, great player."

Dunphy also went on to suggest Declan Rice may have committed his international future to England, after he witnessed Keane issuing a dressing down to Harry Arter in what proved to be his final appearance in an Ireland squad.

"You could see it when he was with the Ireland team (as a coach),” he added. “He was fighting with players… Jon Walters.

"We could have Declan Rice if it wasn’t for his experience in the Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane camp, where he witnessed things.”