“The criteria is to reconcile Roy Keane, and I wouldn’t bother,” Brady told the Evening Echo today.

“I wouldn’t bother with him to be quite honest.”

Brady’s comments come as speculation mounts that Keane’s international career will be revived by the new team boss.

Keane himself is keeping mum.

And the eyes of the soccer world turn to Cork this week, as Keane is due in Eason’s for a book-signing tomorrow, at 3pm.

But fans should expect Keane to say nothing. “Roy will not be commenting on Mick McCarthy’s resignation either today, or in Cork tomorrow,” said Keane’s agent Michael Kennedy.

“He is going to Cork to sign books for his fans. Mick’s resignation has nothing to do with Roy.”

With Mick McCarthy’s departure comes fresh hope that Keane’s international career will be revived once he returns from injury.

And the FAI are certain to appoint a boss who will be able to tie down the controversial Mayfield man.

But Brady, one of Keane’s few serious rivals for the title of Ireland’s greatest ever midfielder, would not extend the olive branch.

“The media has given Roy Keane totally unacceptable power. What’s it going to take the next time? Is it going to be the fact that the pasta is not right? I think it’ s turned into a bad joke.

“There’s a lot of very, very fine players who have played for Ireland and had to put up with some of the things that Roy Keane has had to put up with.

“And we did because we wanted to play for our country.

“I felt the manager was absolutely right for the sake of team spirit and morale, he was right to insist that Roy Keane took no further part in the squad.

“The new manager will have to be streetwise and would have to realise that the media has changed dramatically in Ireland.

“It is now run by tabloid newspapers who really don’t care whether the team wins or not, they just want stories.”