Roy Keane will be confirmed as the new manager of Kasimpasa SK today, according to the Turkish club’s vice-president.

The former Republic of Ireland captain has been on the managerial market since January last year when he was sacked by Ipswich but few expected him to be heading for the Turkish Super Lig.

However, Hasan Hilmi Oksuz told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency yesterday a deal has been agreed with the former Manchester United skipper.

“We reached an agreement with Keane,” he said. “He will be in Istanbul tomorrow [Monday] if nothing extraordinary happens. We will benefit from his experiences right into our vision. We believe he can lead this club to the glorious results.”

If appointed, Keane will succeed former Fenerbahce player Metin Diyadin, who was sacked by Kasimpasa despite winning promotion from the second tier last year and leading them to second in the league this season.

A 2-0 win over Fenerbahce on Saturday saw them move to within a point of Turkish giants Galatasaray after six games.

Keane, who managed Sunderland to promotion from the Championship in 2007 before eventually standing down in December 2008 halfway through a disappointing second season in the top flight, has recently been more visible as a pundit with ITV.

CARL O’MALLEY