Former Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane will return to Portman Road later this season after being appointed as the assistant manager of Nottingham Forest.

East Anglian Daily Times: Roy Keane gestures to Ipswich Town fans after the 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in January 2011. It proved to be his last match in charge.Roy Keane gestures to Ipswich Town fans after the 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in January 2011. It proved to be his last match in charge. (Image: Archant)

Keane, who was in charge of the Blues between 2009 and 2011, will assist Martin O’Neill at the City Ground having previously been his No.2 with the Republic of Ireland.

Keane has not held a club management job since being fired by the Blues in January 2011, with his only other club role since coming when he assisted current Ipswich boss Paul Lambert at Aston Villa in 2014.

Nottingham Forest visit Portman Road on March 16.

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East Anglian Daily Times: Keane assisted current Ipswich manager Paul Lambert during his time at Aston Villa. Picture; PAKeane assisted current Ipswich manager Paul Lambert during his time at Aston Villa. Picture; PA (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Keane dedicated a chapter of his second autobiography, published in 2014, to his time in charge of the Blues.

“I don’t think I’m a bad manager, but at Ipswich I managed badly,” he wrote. “I spoke to some people like something on the bottom of my shoe.

“I don’t f****** like blue. City were blue, Rangers were blue. My biggest rivals were blue. Is that childish? I couldn’t feel it.”

Of his return to Forest, where he played before joining Manchester United in 1993, Keane said: “I am happy to be back. I know the manager, he came in a few weeks ago and things moved pretty quickly over the weekend. It is nice to get the deal done and get involved this morning with the first session.

“I am looking forward to it, it is a big challenge and I am ready for it.

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“It is good to be back and it will probably take a couple of days to get back in the swing of things. Obviously, I had great memories of my career here as a player, the club gave me my chance and I will always remember them for that.

“But it is a different challenge now and I am in a different position coaching the players. I am looking forward to it, a huge challenge ahead and 20 years out of the Premier League. It will be tough but I am looking forward to it.”