Keane expected to be named Sunderland boss

Roy Keane is expected to be named as the manager of English championship club Sunderland, it was revealed last night. Keane's legal adviser, Michael Kennedy, last night confirmed in London that talks were at an advanced stage.

No deal has yet been reached, but it is anticipated that the Cork man will take charge of the struggling club during the next 48 hours.

The move would mark the beginning of what seems an unlikely alliance between the former Irish skipper and Niall Quinn, now chairman and stand-in manager at the Stadium of Light. The pair clashed publicly when Keane left the Irish squad prior to the World Cup in 2002 and the tone of exchanges at that time suggested that they would be unlikely to work together in the future.

Quinn and Keane are said to have patched up their relationship in the last two months. The securing of the 34-year-old former Manchester United midfield star would represent a considerable coup for the Dubliner whose side have made a disastrous start to their first campaign since he and a consortium of Irish businessmen took charge during the summer.

To date the club has lost its opening four championship matches as well as a league cup game against lowly Bury.

In the wake of that defeat Quinn hinted at an imminent appointment and while declining to name the man in question, he described him as a "world-class" figure.

"He has known of the interest for quite some time," said Quinn. "It has been a tangled process and all probably stems back to the takeover going on and on but he's someone that we were aware of from a very early stage".

There is a growing expectation in Sunderland that Keane's appointment is now only a matter of addressing some remaining details regarding the terms of his contract and the support he will receive from the club as he seeks to dramatically rebuild what is currently a struggling side bereft of quality players.