Roy Keane's time at Sunderland was largely a successful one, as the former Manchester United midfielder delivered promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League in 2006/06. He then kept them in the division the next season, before resigning in his third season following differences with owner at the time, Ellis Short.
He may be set for a sensational return to the Stadium of Light as it has been reported that Keane is being interviewed for the role after Lee Johnson was sacked last week at the end of a bad run of form which culminated in a 6-0 loss away to Bolton Wanderers.
Keane has already spoken of the desires which have seen him take an interest in a return to management as he appeared on Gary Neville's Sky Sports YouTube series, The Overlap.
Asked by Neville where he saw himself in the next five to ten years, Keane replied: "Do I wanna go back into management? Maybe, but realistically where do I go back in? The Championship? Top of League One?"
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Neville pushed him further, suggesting that Keane did want to manage again, to which the reply was in the affirmative. Keane reflected on his managerial career thus far in answering, revealing that he felt he had unfinished business as a manager.
"Obviously it’s not easy but when I went into management Sunderland were second-bottom of the Championship but Sunderland was a great club for me. Could have done better at Ipswich but there was plusses at Ipswich. I think there’s something in there where I think I could be a good manager and it’s pulling me back in."
Neville also asked Keane about the perception of him as a manager, where managers like Scott Parker and Frank Lampard are looked at more positively, despite the fact that Lampard couldn't win promotion with Derby and Parker was relegated with Fulham. Meanwhile Keane has won promotion and kept his team in the division the following season.
"Perception is massive in football. At Sunderland we got promoted. The players done brilliant and I got good backing, good recruitment.
"We stayed up in the Premier League. I see managers now and they stay up and they’re getting carried around the pitch! I’m in the dressing room feeling we could have done a bit better.
"The season I left we were averaging a point a game in the Premier League and I think we were in the quarter-finals of the League Cup but I was still agitated. I felt we should be doing better. That was my inexperience.
"I wish I’d rang somebody like Terry Venables, I think he’d have said to me I was doing well."
