IPSWICH TOWN COMMENT - BY MARK TUXFORD

FORGET EastEnders and Coronation Street.

All the drama in recent weeks has come from the long-running war of words between ex-Ipswich Town manager Roy Keane and former captain Jon Walters.

Walters returned to Portman Road last season under the stewardship of former boss Paul Hurst.

As we know, the ex-Shrewsbury manager didn’t last long but Walters lasted even less time after his second spell at the club was brought to a close prematurely after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury at Hull City.

It was a setback that ultimately ended his career early.

Nonetheless, Walters is a popular figure around Suffolk, having worked his way up from the depths of League Two with Chester City.

His time at Town gave him the platform to win a half-century of Ireland caps, figure in an FA Cup final and make 233 Premier League appearances.

Some would say that's a pretty good career - but not everyone’s favourite pantomime villain, Keane.

“Have a look at his medals,” he said during an interview last week.

“That wouldn’t take long.”

In the latest line of insults between the pair, Keane has also been harshly mocking his former player’s tough private life, which, by his own admission, ultimately affected Walters’ mental health throughout his career after the death of his mother, when he was just 11.

Nonetheless, as the feud has rumbled on, comments from both Irishmen have been invariably entertaining, if somewhat crossing the line in Keane's case.

Rightly or wrongly, one thing you are guaranteed from the former Manchester United captain is a willingness to challenge anyone that crosses his path. The list of those on the receiving end is long and varied, from former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson and ex-United team-mates to Mick McCarthy and Pablo Counago.

But where did it all go wrong with Walters and why is this story any different from previous Keane outbursts?

Cast your mind back to the summer of 2010.

Keane was in the managerial hotseat at Portman Road while golden boy Walters had his heart set on a dream move to the Premier League.

However, Keane was reluctant to sell the frontman until a significant bid was received, matching the club's valuation of the player.

As you can imagine, Walters was not happy at the thought of his dream move slipping away from him.

Discussing the ongoing feud between the pair on Liquid Football Show, Walters gives an honest take on his opinion of Keane.

"I'll tell you one thing about the man, he doesn't get to me one bit,” he said.

“I'm possibly the only one that stood up to him, more than once.

"I think that's what bothers him most, maybe. I don't know.

"You'd have to ask him that question but you might get something back.

"I said this the other day - I really don't know why people pay attention. Why they get that worried by Roy.

"Because, yes, he was a good player, an unbelievable player, known as a hard man on the pitch.

"But there's a difference between being a hard man on the pitch and being a tough guy.

"Just because someone has a sharp tongue or a stare, doesn't make them a tough guy."

Personally, I think every Ipswich fan (including myself) would be quick to jump to the defence of Walters, not only due to his popularity and empathy for his private life but the fact that Keane is not held in high regard among the Portman Road faithful.

It’s recent comments from Keane that make him great viewing as a TV pundit.

But feuds with Walters and others are one of the main reasons nobody has called him to become a manager, since leaving Town in 2011.

His honesty and brutal directness can be captivating, whether accurate or unacceptable.

However, Keane is surely better suited to a seat in the studio rather than a managerial hotseat, where his career is still clearly feeling the burnt and tarnished effects of that troubled spell in Suffolk.