Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar has revealed that he is hoping Roy Keane is handed a coaching role at the club.

Keane is believed to be in talks with Villa over becoming Paul Lambert's assistant manager, and Vlaar believes that the former Manchester United midfielder's attitude can definitely help the squad.

"I don't know him as a person, I know him as a player," the Dutch defender is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "He has a lot of fighting spirit, and I think that would be really good for us.

"He can do more than that. He's a very strong character. I think everybody has a lot of respect for him and I look forward to it."

Keane is currently serving as an assistant to Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill.