Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert was always confident Roy Keane would make a positive impact.
The former Manchester United midfielder was working as a pundit for ITV, alongside his role as the Republic of Ireland's assistant manager, before joining Villa.
"The two of us are really strong characters. I knew he had a lot of football knowledge that was unfairly tarnished. His knowledge meant he was too good to be a TV pundit," he said.
"To get him back in the game was great. I love working with him, we have a laugh.
"Not everything is serious. I beat him at the crossbar challenge nearly every day.
"When I was thinking about people to bring in, I know it probably raised a few eyebrows, 'How's that going to work?' Nobody sees the logic in it. I just knew in my gut it would work. Alright, there will be times when we don't win games but we'll never break anything.
"He's been great around the place, with the staff and the lads. He likes a laugh as well. I don't think he's the big bad guy out there that. He's somebody I know I can rely on.
"I never had any doubts. He was the first port of call when I knew I had to get somebody in."
