FAI interim chief executive Gary Owens has not ruled out a possible role for Republic of Ireland record goalscorer Robbie Keane.
The former Irish captain had been working as a coach under former senior manager Mick McCarthy who decided to step aside yesterday with Stephen Kenny moving up from the under-21 job earlier than expected.
Kenny's backroom team was confirmed on Sunday with assistant Keith Andrews coming in alongside coach Damien Duff and goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly.
"We're talking to Robbie and his agent about a role in the association so we'll see where that goes," Owens said on Off The Ball.
Keane is still under contract to the FAI after being awarded a four-year deal by John Delaney when McCarthy was appointed in November 2018.
"I don't know to be honest," he replied when asked if Keane was interested in remaining on in some role with the FAI.
"We're very open to sitting down and talking to Robbie and his agent about what role he may or may not play in the association. We're very open-minded about that."
Owens was reluctant to give any hint as to what part he could play if he did remain as an employee at Abbotstown.
"I don't know and I don't really want to go into that. To be fair that's a conversation we should have with either Robbie himself or his agent."
Keane also has a job at Middlesbrough where he is assistant to manager Jonathan Woodgate.
His former international team-mate Kenny Cunningham believes that whatever happens in the immediate future, Keane will still have a part to play in the international set-up at some point.
"Robbie's got an opportunity at club level with Middlesbrough," said Cunningham.
"He seems very motivated in terms of forging a career for himself so there's no reason, sometime down the line there won't be an opportunity for Robbie to come back, potentially even in the senior international set-up.
"He's certainly young enough. It may be a case where we see Robbie a little bit further down the road so I don't necessarily think it's a reflection on him if there isn't a position for him there at the moment.
"It's just that Stephen has to make some big decisions in terms of the dynamic of the team that he wants around and he's made his decisions which we have to respect."
