REPUBLIC of Ireland World Cup hero Robbie Keane last night appeared to scupper Sunderland's hopes of luring him away from Leeds United when he insisted he wanted to stay at crisis-torn Elland Road.

Sunderland boss Peter Reid yesterday answered the critics who claim his management lacks ambition by agreeing a fee - believed to be around £8m - for the 21-year-old striker.

Northern Echo Sport last month exclusively revealed that the Black Cats had joined Middlesbrough in the race to land Keane.

And the Wearsiders looked set to deal their rivals a bitter blow after announcing they had been given permission to open talks with Keane and his representatives, SFX, in order to "complete the final details of the transfer''.

But in a dramatic twist little more than an hour later, Keane issued a statement in which he pledged his allegiance to managerless Leeds and stressed his determination to prove his worth to whoever succeeds David O'Leary, who was sacked last week.

Celtic's Martin O'Neill and Republic boss Mick McCarthy are the front-runners for the job, and Keane said: "I do not want to speak to any other club.

"I'm happy at Leeds and I'm confident that I can impress any new manager with my ability and commitment.''

Keane was the Republic's World Cup talisman, scoring three goals as McCarthy's side beat an heroic path to the last 16 before their agonising penalty shoot-out defeat by Spain.

Reid clearly felt that the attraction of linking up at Sunderland with Irish strike partner Niall Quinn, as well as fellow Far East teammates Kevin Kilbane and Jason McAteer, would tempt Keane, who completed a £12m move to Leeds from Inter Milan last summer following an initial six-month loan spell.

And Leeds' eagerness to cash in on Keane is explained by the parlous state of their finances - the club owe £60m to international investment bank Lazards.

Dubliner Keane has played 37 times for his country, scoring 13 goals, and is rated by the veteran Quinn as one of the best young talents in the game.

Keane's last-gasp goal for Ireland against Germany in the World Cup clash in Ibaraki, courtesy of a Quinn flick-on, is one of the most memorable moments of the tournament.

Quinn retired from the international scene after the World Cup and is now attempting to help replicate the famed Irish team spirit at Sunderland.

Having agreed to combine playing with coaching in the final year of his Stadium of Light contract, 35-year-old Quinn admitted: "I was shocked when Peter asked me to get involved with the coaching and I'm looking forward to it.

"I would not have done this for anyone other than Peter after what he has done for me over the years.

"My main task will be working on team spirit; it is an aspect of football that needs to be right.

"I've known this all along, but the World Cup gave me a serious reminder of how important it is."

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