Manchester United skipper Roy Keane has revealled that he is ready to leave Old Trafford at the end of the current season.
The Irish international's contract is due to expire in the summer and it was widely assumed he would be offered a new year-long deal, possibly to combine playing duties with a coaching role.
However, in a live MUTV phone-in, Keane has rejected any likelihood of moving straight onto Sir Alex Ferguson's backroom staff and feels it will be the end of the season before United decide whether the 34-year-old will be handed an extension, by which time it will be too late.
"I would like to play another year or two but I do not think it will be at Manchester United," he said. "I would be surprised if I was offered a new contract and even if I was, I would not expect it to be until the end of the season but by then I will have already made a decision about what I am going to do."
"There comes a time for everybody when they have to move on and I am prepared to play elsewhere. I think it will be good to experience a different dressing room. It wouldn't be an English team though, coming back to Old Trafford and going into the away dressing room would be too hard for me to stomach."
The last statement is bound to alert Celtic, as Keane has made no secret of his desire to play for the Parkhead club at some stage in his career.
Keane was more cagey about his international future, and claimed that he would only make a decision on his future with Ireland at the end of the current World Cup qualifying campaign.
The midfielder came out of international retirement to try to help steer Brian Kerr's team to Germany next year and make up for missing out on the last tournament following his infamous pre-competition bust-up with Mick McCarthy.
His current injury rules him out of next month's double-header with Cyprus and Switzerland and also possibly any play-off should Ireland secure second spot in their group.
"I still think we have a chance to qualify," he said. "If we don't, we will I have to talk to Brian and see what happens but I don't want to cross that bridge before I get to it."
