Joe Brolly has sparked another controversy by questioning Roy Keane's mental state.

The former Derry star lived up to his reputation as one of the country's most outspoken sports pundits when he claimed the Republic of Ireland assistant manager "has all sorts of deep-seeded psychological issues that have never been dealt with" on Newstalk's Off The Ball programme today.

Weighing into a discussion about Keane's involvement in a hotel altercation with Irish soccer supporter Frank Gillespie before last Friday night's European Championship qualifier defeat to Scotland, Brolly said: "It always amuses me to hear soccer players described as role models. They are nothing of the kind. Keane is just, you know he is interesting and for the media it is fantastic, it's like having a soccer coaching Kardashian.

"I think that (Martin) O'Neill enjoys him more than anything else. O'Neill has got broad shoulders and O'Neill is smart, he has got a lot of the things that Roy doesn't have. Roy will never be a leader, he couldn't be a military leader for example.

"Keane brings huge interest wherever he goes, but I think he will fail wherever he goes as a manager because he doesn't have any of the emotional intelligence that is required.

"I would imagine that he has all sorts of deep-seeded psychological issues that have never been dealt with. He seems to have an addictive personality.

"You see barristers like this as well, that freelance world. As a soccer player, he was just a freelance soccer player, all he had to do was play soccer and he was brilliant at that of course and he burned so brightly.

"But then he reaches the age of 35 and because he has never had to change or think about himself, he has never done that and his personality is absolutely set in stone."

The 1993 All-Ireland winner continued: "You see barristers like that as well, they are freelance and they come to court and you hear people 'oh here he is now this is fantastic' and they make fortunes of money and they live in a bubble.

"They retire at the age of 70 and they are as undeveloped in the inner life as when they were 18. I don't think there is much in it (the hotel incident) to be honest. If you've got Roy Keane, it's a bit of fun, it's showbiz and all of that. You know people laugh at the guy, I think it's pathetic. I must say in general I think it's pathetic.

"I must say I feel sorry for the fella. Maybe that's wrong, maybe he doesn't feel in the slightest bit troubled, maybe it's an act. Maybe all that volcanic stuff that stems around that is just an act.

"But it seems to me it's a guy with serious inner turmoil."

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