On 5 November 2013, the FAI announced that Martin O'Neill had been made the Republic of Ireland manager and that Keane had been made the assistant manager. Their first match was against Latvia at the Aviva Stadium in a 3–0 victory on 15 November 2013. After Neil Lennon left Celtic at the end of the 2013–14 season, Keane looked set to become the new manager of the Hoops. Martin O'Neill admitted he won't stand in his way of taking over the reins at Celtic Park. Keane, however, remained as assistant manager of Ireland and asked not to be considered for the job. Keane later stated that he was on the verge of taking the Celtic job and had met with the Celtic owner Dermot Desmond but felt "they didn't make him feel wanted enough" and rejected the offer.