'Roy Keane would be the perfect Man Utd manager'

Stuart Telford

• 9 Mar 2023 11:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Roy Keane has been touted as a future Manchester United manager by a Liverpool legend.

Man Utd may not currently be in the market for a new manager with Erik ten Hag having steered the club up to third in the Premier League table before winning the EFL Cup less than two weeks ago.

But last Sunday's 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool inevitably got some tongues wagging, and former Reds striker Djibril Cisse couldn't resist getting involved.

"I think Keane can manage Manchester United for sure," he told LordPing. "He knows the club, the city and everything by heart. He knows everything there. He's a club legend who captained the team. He'd be a perfect match."

READ: Roy Keane slams 'circus' Man Utd after Liverpool hit seven past Ten Hag's men

Keane was Man Utd captain for much of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, and won seven Premier Leagues and a Champions League across his 473 appearances with the club between 1993 and 2005.

His subsequent managerial career was less successful, although there were shoots of promise at Sunderland and Ipswich before he took on assistant roles with Ireland, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

Keane picked up 90 yellow cards in his United career but was only sent of 10 times in more than a decade of service. Cisse, who briefly played under Keane at Sunderland, thinks he is mis-characterised.

READ: 'Weghorst contributes to the team' - Keane makes Ronaldo dig

'Keane's different to what's said'

"Roy Keane as a human being was very different from what everyone says about him," he continued. "In terms of him being angry and screaming all the time. He was actually really calm.

"He was a fair manager, if you were a better player than another in your position you would be playing instead of them. It was a short period of time, but I really liked him."

Regardless of how difficult Keane might find it to turn down such a job, the Irishman is content with his life as a pundit.

"I did up till recently," he told Jamie Carragher when asked if he could envision a return to management.

"But I almost feel recently, I think, those days are over for me now, going back into management. I really feel like that. I'm 50 now, I'm doing the TV. Obviously, I'm labelled as more of a pundit now."