Roy Keane was involved in a training-ground row with Aston Villa players 24 hours before his sudden exit from the club.

Keane left Villa Park after five months as Paul Lambert’s assistant on Friday claiming he could no longer combine the job with his role as No 2 to Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill.

But Sportsmail understands that tensions between Keane and several senior players have been simmering for some time. A club insider said there was a bust-up at their Bodymoor Heath training ground on Thursday which began during the session and is thought to have continued afterwards.

Roy Keane left his role as assistant manager at Aston Villa after a training ground row

Keane joined Aston Villa in July to work alongside Scotsman Paul Lambert

Keane has left Aston Villa after just 11 Premier League games assisting Lambert

Keane is reported to have fallen out with several senior players in Lambert's squad

Keane had been working as No 2 at both the Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa

ROY KEANE AT VILLA July 1 2014 - Roy Keane joined Aston Villa as assistant to Paul Lambert August 16 - Aston Villa beat Stoke 1-0 in the first game of the season September 13 - Villa beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield November 24 - Aston Villa's 1-1 draw with Southampton is their eighth game without a win (L6, D2) November 28 - Roy Keane quits Villa Advertisement

Keane and Lambert are said to have held talks later in the day and come to an amicable decision that it was better for the 43-year-old former Manchester United star to leave. The Villa players were informed of Keane’s exit by text message shortly before the club issued a statement.

The official reason that Keane was leaving to focus on his international commitments has been questioned in some quarters because Ireland do not play again until March.

His relationship with several players is said to have become strained with Keane struggling to accept what he felt was a lack of intensity in training.

Joe Cole (left) celebrates putting Aston Villa 1-0 up at Burnley on Saturday

SUPER STAT: Ings’s fourth goal in five games means that he has scored more times than the whole Aston Villa team since the start of October. Advertisement

Keane left Ireland’s World Cup camp in Saipan in 2002 in a row over training facilities, and departed United shortly after a similar falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz on a pre-season trip to Portugal three years later.

When contacted on Sunday night, Villa denied reports of the bust-up or that there was any issue between senior players and Keane, but questions about the Irishman were banned in the press conference after Saturday’s draw at Burnley.

Joe Cole scored his first goal for Villa at Turf Moor. The former England and Chelsea player turned down lucrative offers from abroad and took a pay cut to move to Villa Park on a free transfer from West Ham in the summer.

Burnley's Danny Ings celebrates after he scores the equalising goal on Saturday

‘This is what it’s all about, playing in the Premier League,’ he said. ‘I could have gone and filled my pockets, but the fire still burns for me.’

Danny Ings equalised for Burnley with a late penalty.