Roy Keane has resigned his role as assistant manager with Premier League outfit Aston Villa with immediate effect the club has confirmed.

In a statement released by the club the former Manchester United star said that the task of balancing of commitments of working with both Martin O'Neill and Paul Lambert had become too much and that he needed to take a step back. He has been in the club role since mid-summer.

“Ultimately, my roles with Villa and Ireland and combining my commitment to these have become too much,” said Keane. “It isn’t fair to either Villa or Ireland, so I’ve made this decision.

“I’d like to thank Paul for giving me a great opportunity to come to a brilliant football club, I’ve really enjoyed my experiences at Villa and I wish the management team, the players, the supporters and the Club nothing but the best going forward.”

Lambert suggests that Keane only informed him of his decision this morning but the Scot said that he accepts and understands it.

“Roy came to me this morning and he informed me that, ultimately, the difficulty of combining both roles has prompted his decision, which I respect totally,” he said.

“In the brief period we have worked together he has been great in the role and I understand his reasons for leaving.”

During his short time with the club, Keane had been involved in a couple of minor controversies with the Corkman criticising Chelssea boss Jose Mourinho for his attempt to shake hands before the end of Villa’s game against Chelsea early in the season and more recently hinting that Everton might be overplaying the extent of injuries suffered by Irish players in advance of international breaks.

The team made a strong start to the new campaign, taking 10 points from its first four Premier League games, a run that included a 1-0 win at Anfield. That, though, was followed by six defeats on the trot before, most recently the losing streak was ended with two draws including Monday’s against Southampton.

The club says that Lambert will look to appoint a replacement as soon as possible.