Roy Keane hits out at Ireland defence

Former Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane has hit out at the team's defending following their 4-0 defeat to Spain this evening.

The ex-Manchester United midfielder described the goals conceded as "absolutely shocking" and said that the result will be a "reality check" for his countrymen.

"We came into the tournament with high hopes but they never turned up," he told ITV.

"Spain are world champions, [they are] fantastic, but the goals they (Republic of Ireland) gifted them tonight at any level were absolutely shocking."

He added: "It's a reality check for a lot of the Irish players.

"I think a lot of them think they're top players, and it goes to show that they're so far behind a lot of these players."

Giovanni Trapattoni's men became the first team to be eliminated from Euro 2012 following consecutive defeats.