Keane appointed Ipswich manager

Roy Keane has been appointed manager of Championship side Ipswich Town.

The 37-year-old signed a two-year contract following the dismissal of
Jim Magilton on Wednesday.

Keane has been out of work since December when he resigned as Sunderland
manager, having taken the club from the Championship to the Premier
League.

"I truly believe I am joining a club that has the potential, ambition
and infrastructure to once again be a Premier League side," said Keane.

The ex-Manchester United captain will hold a press conference at 1600
BST on Thursday.

Ambitious owner Marcus Evans has spent ￡12m on new players since he
took over the club in late 2007 on a quest to reach the Premier League.

Magilton, who took over from Joe Royle in 2006, was sacked for failing
to guide Ipswich to the Championship play-off places, with Evans
immediately turning his attentions to Keane.

He took Ipswich to 14th in the Championship table in his first season
and eighth last term but departs with the club in ninth place and 12
points off the play-off zone.

"The club's owner (Marcus Evans) and chief executive (Simon Clegg)
impressed upon me their total focus on achieving this quest at the
earliest opportunity and I can't wait to get started," added the
ex-Manchester United midfielder.

Keane took over as Sunderland boss in August 2006 with the club
languishing second from bottom in the Championship.

He made an immediate impact, transforming the fortunes of the club,
guiding them to the Championship title as well as the Premier League
in the same season.

And Evans is confident he has lured the best man for the job to
Portman Road.

"We are completely aligned in our ambitions for Ipswich Town," he told
Ipswich's official website.

"He has extensive contacts in the game and is a proven winner who
encourages his team to play the attractive football that Ipswich Town
fans have come to expect. I believe he is the right man to take this
Club where we want to be - the Premier League."

BBC senior football reporter Ian Dennis said Evans had targeted Keane
weeks ago and will give his new manager financial backing for a
promotion push for next season.

"But just as crucial is the fact that 15 players are out of contract
at the end of this campaign which will allow Keane to shape his squad
straight away," said Dennis.

Ipswich assistant boss John Gorman has also left the Suffolk club,
with coach Bryan Klug placed in charge of the first team for
Saturday's game at Cardiff City.

Ipswich chief executive Simon Clegg said Keane's appointment
demonstrates the ambition of Evans, who runs a global leadership
business.

"Roy has spent a little bit of time thinking about this," the former
chef de mission of the British Olympic Association told BBC Radio 5
Live.

"It's a big appointment for him - he doesn't make the type of commitment
that is necessary to join a club like Ipswich Town lightly and
without believing in potential.

"I'm not going into details of how much money is available but, having
made the statement of intent that we have, the owner will support both
the manager and in terms of giving us the resources we need to achieve
the goal of reaching the Premier League."

Keane walked away from Sunderland nearly five months ago following the
arrival of majority shareholder American Ellis Short in September 2008.

He made his name as a tough-tackling midfielder, playing at the
highest level in England with Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and
Celtic, along with 66 appearances for the Republic of Ireland.
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