Roy Keane joins Ipswich: Less than five months after walking away from Sunderland having decided he had taken the club as far as he could, Roy Keane was back in front of the media this afternoon after yielding to his "gut feeling" and taking up the vacant post at English Championship side Ipswich Town.

After sacking Jim Magilton - who failed to secure a play-off berth - yesterday, Ipswich wasted little time in appointing a successor with Keane’s appointment confirmed shortly after 8am this morning.

“I’m excited and looking forward to it. I’ve had a good break. It’s good to be back," he said this afternoon. “Three or four weeks ago I thought, if the opportunity came up, I was ready for it. I’ve signed a two-year contract but I’d like to try and do it (get promotion) in one year.

“If I wasn’t up for challenges I’d be out walking my dogs today. I think my dogs need a break.”

The manager and his assistant Tony Loughlan took training this morning and the players “look up for it”, according to Keane, who then warned if they weren’t his relationship with them would be “brief”.

The speed of the appointment will see Keane in the dugout for the final two games of the current campaign (against Cardiff and Coventry) but he dismissed suggestions that the sizeable contingent (15) whose contracts are up in the near future are playing for their future’s over the next two games.

That sort of pressure would be “unfair”, he said. Instead, he intends on assessing their careers at the club to date, their injury history and their desire to play for him.

“Nothing will be happening over the next week or two, we’ve got to take stock and take it from there,” he added.

The real work, then, will begin over the summer as the Corkman strives to build a squad capable of reaching the Premier League.

He plans on achieving that goal in his first year but insists it will be difficult, not least because of the quality of the sides that look to be on their way down from the Premier League. "Newcastle, Middlesbrough", et al.

With Sunderland in the 2006-07 season, Keane won promotion at the first attempt, after transforming the side from also-rans to bona fide champions.

He has been promised money by billionaire owner Marcus Evans and chief executive Simon Clegg, but did not reveal how much. Magilton, though, was given €14 million, and Keane, who made a remarkable 39 signings at a cost of some €90 million to Sunderland, will expect substantially more than his predecessor.

He admits that with a two-year contract he'll be under pressure straight away but is "entirely comfortable" with the deal he has been given. "If that means I’m putting myself under pressure - so what?"

Having always demanded the most from those he works alongside, Keane was also adamant he will have like-minded support in the boardroom.

“I enjoy working with ambitious people. There’s enough people out there with no ambitions who are happy to go through the motions in life.

“It’s a proper football club. I think I’ve been very lucky with the clubs I’ve been involved with and I’m very lucky to get this job.”

Ipswich clearly feel they have secured the services of an individual capable of leading them to the promised land after an absence of seven years.

“I am delighted that Roy has agreed to join us and we are completely aligned in our ambitions for Ipswich Town,” Evans said today."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.”

Evans, who has invested almost €50 million in the club since 2007, is an intriguing character in his own right. His business empire was built on sports hospitality industry but now incorporates various interests including the arms trade.

He was also linked with an unsuccessful €880 million buy-out of the Trinity Mirror media group last year.

Intensely secretive, no photographs are said to exist of him in the public domain and he refuses to grant interview requests.

Roy Keane Factfile

1971: Born Cork, August 10th.

1987: Joins semi-professional League of Ireland club Cobh Ramblers after building reputation with Cork junior club Rockmount.

1990: Signed by Brian Clough for Nottingham Forest for £10,000.

1991: Makes Republic of Ireland debut in 1-1 draw with Chile in Dublin.

1993: Joins Manchester United for then British transfer record £3.75million after 154 matches and 33 goals for Forest.

1994: Marks first season with United by helping club complete their first League and FA Cup double.

1995: Sent off for first time in career for stamping on Crystal Palace's Gareth Southgate during FA Cup semi-final replay.

Two more red cards follow in first three months of 1995-96 campaign, at Blackburn in August and at home to Middlesbrough in October.

1996: March — Sent off on his 30th appearance for the Republic of Ireland against Russia in Mick McCarthy's first match as manager.

May— Helps United clinch historic second double with 1-0 FA Cup final win over Liverpool. Fails to report for McCarthy's testimonial and Republic training after going on holiday to Italy, is denied Republic captaincy and left out for six matches by the national boss.

1997: August — Named United captain following Eric Cantona's departure.

September — Injures his knee tackling Alf Inge Haaland at Elland Road. Misses rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage.

1999: April — In career defining performance against Juventus leads United to Champions League final although booking rules him out of decider against Bayern Munich.

December — Signs a new four-year deal to stay at Old Trafford.

2000: May — Named PFA and Football Writers' Association player of the year before lifting another Premier League title.

November — Criticises lack of atmosphere at Old Trafford accusing corporate spectators of being unable “to spell football never mind understand it” and only being interested in prawn sandwiches.

2001: Sent off after lunge at Haaland in United's derby encounter with Manchester City.

2002: May — Keane is sent home from the World Cup after a row with Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.

September — Sent off for elbowing Jason McAteer during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at Sunderland.

2003: February — Despite the efforts of new Ireland manager Brian Kerr to tempt him back into the Republic's set-up, Keane announces his intention to retire from international football.

2004: April — Announces he will play for Republic of Ireland.

May — Makes first appearance for Ireland since McCarthy bust-up in friendly with Romania.

2005: February — Involved in tunnel row with Patrick Vieira before United's 4-2 win against Arsenal.

August —Alex Ferguson admits he had a row with Keane at United’s pre-season training camp in Portugal in July.

October — Announces his international retirement for a second time.

November — Leaves Manchester United by mutual consent.

December — Signs for Celtic in an 18-month deal.

2006: May — Finishes the season at Celtic, who win the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

June — Announces his retirement from football.

August — Confirmed as new manager of Sunderland.

2007: April — Earns automatic promotion to the Premier League for Sunderland. Team clinches Championship title the following week.

2008: May — Sunderland finish three points clear of relegation zone.

December

— Leaves Sunderland after crisis talks on Wearside.

2009: April — Takes over at Championship side Ipswich on two-year contract.