The Football Association of Ireland have confirmed that the appointments of Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane within the Republic of Ireland setup have reached an "advanced stage".

Reports over the weekend claimed that former Sunderland boss O'Neill was on the verge of becoming the new manager of the national team following the departure of Giovanni Trapattoni.

Ex-Ipswich Town boss Keane, who has been working as a pundit for ITV, emerged as a possible assistant manager to O'Neill, and it appears that both coaches are close to taking on their new roles.

According to Sky Sports News, the governing body have confirmed that it is only a matter of time before the pair are appointed as Ireland's new-look management team.

O'Neill has been out of work since getting sacked by Sunderland in March this year.