Manchester United legend Roy Keane would seemingly be open to a return to management amid suggestions a return to Sunderland could be on the cards.
Reports have suggested the former United captain has been offered a return to the Stadium of Light following the sacking of Lee Johnson on Sunday.
The Telegraph claim Keane and Sunderland underwent productive talks on Monday, and the former midfielder is set to make a final decision soon.
Keane was previously manager of the Black Cats for just under 18 months following his appointment in 2006, and he led the club back to the Premier League before walking out in January 2008.
The 50-year-old's only other management role ended in 2011 with a slightly longer spell at Ipswich Town. Keane has been out of coaching since a five-month spell as Martin O’Neill’s assistant at Nottingham Forest in 2019. He has turned his hand to punditry over the past few years.
But with Sunderland seemingly calling again, Keane could be tempted into a managerial return, having recently revealed he was keen on stepping back into the fold if the job felt like a good fit.
“I’ve had interviews, I had an interview recently,” Keane told his former United team-mate Gary Neville on The Overlap.
“I spoke to a Championship club about three months ago. It was very casual, it was at my house, a chat with the chairman.
“And to be fair, he was straight up, he went, ‘Listen, we just want somebody who can come in and win football matches’.
“That was fine with me, I didn’t have to break down styles of play.
“And I think if you’re winning matches, people don’t then question, ‘What’s your style of play?’ You just bounce into the next match, don’t you? And we did it as players.”
Keane believes his perception during his playing days has held him back in his managerial career, having seen both his international career and his time at United come to an end after public fallings out.
“When you’re a manager and you lose your job, it’s a long way back,” he added.
“Again, perception. People probably think I’m not up to it, they see me on the television they think, ‘he’s a bit of a headcase.’
“I fell out with [Mick] McCarthy, [Alex] Ferguson. They think ‘he’s trouble’ but I don’t think I am.”
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