Keane rules out management return as Carrick faces United sack pressure

Roy Keane has effectively closed the door on a return to football management, dampening speculation linking him to the Manchester United job as pressure mounts on current manager Michael Carrick.

Keane made the admission on the Stick to Football podcast, conceding that years of prioritising TV punditry have taken him too far from the dugout to turn back. “These last few years… there’s no going back now,” he said. “There’s definitely part of me over the last few years that thinks I should still be a manager somewhere. I still feel I could have been a really good manager. When you’re in that managerial role, you’re thinking two or three bad results and you could be out the door… that’s a tough rollercoaster. I don’t miss being on that rollercoaster.”

The comments come at a turbulent moment for United, who sit 17th in the Premier League table after winning just one of their opening nine league matches. A 3-2 comeback victory over Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday ended a nine-game winless run, but has done little to ease scrutiny on Carrick. Sunday’s home fixture against Aston Villa — United’s last game before the international break — is expected to be a significant factor in the club’s decision on his future, with a full review of his position planned during the fortnight off.

Among those who had championed Keane as a candidate was former Premier League striker Djibril Cissé, who played under the Irishman at Sunderland. Speaking to Mr Gamble, Cissé made a passionate case for the appointment. “Keane has the weight of experience and history. He is a strong personality and he’s an icon of the club. He wore the armband for so many years during United’s glory days, so bringing him back would be a really good thing.”

Cissé also spoke warmly of his personal experience working with Keane. “I really enjoyed working with him because he didn’t judge me on what he’d heard or what people might say about my character. He trusted me, it worked very well, and I was very disappointed when he left. He’s a coach I loved working with and whom I respect enormously.”

Keane moved into management after retiring as a player in 2006, taking charge of Sunderland and guiding them out of the Championship before later managing Ipswich Town. His last managerial role ended in 2011, and he has since built a prominent career as a television pundit.

Other names linked with the United vacancy include Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte, and Unai Emery, though the club has made no public comment on any potential candidates.