Keane's shock Manchester United return blocked by Carrick's permanent appointment

Roy Keane came closer to a return to Manchester United than anyone knew, only for Michael Carrick’s permanent appointment as head coach to end any prospect of the club legend walking back through the Old Trafford doors.

When Ruben Amorim was sacked, Darren Fletcher took charge on a caretaker basis before United conducted interviews for an interim appointment. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was among the candidates considered for the role, and according to The Sun’s Charlie Wyett, the Norwegian had earmarked Keane — his former United teammate — as his number two.

“It can now be revealed the Norwegian’s potential choice for his No2 was former United captain Keane,” Wyett writes. “We will never know what would have happened had Solskjaer and Keane been at the helm. But the prospect of the Irishman being back at the club would have been box office.”

Carrick ultimately won the interim role and made the most of it, steering United to a third-place Premier League finish that secured a return to the Champions League. That form was enough to convince the club to hand him a permanent contract at the end of the season, closing the door on any alternative arrangement.

The episode carries a familiar shape for Solskjaer. He first arrived at Old Trafford as caretaker in December 2018 following Jose Mourinho’s exit, signed a three-year deal four months later, and remained in charge until November 2021 — when his own sacking gave Carrick his first temporary stint in charge. Solskjaer took United to a Europa League final during his tenure but departed after one win in seven matches left the club outside the European places.

Keane, 55, has a varied coaching record that includes managerial spells at Sunderland and Ipswich Town, as well as assistant roles at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and with the Republic of Ireland. He has spent recent years as one of football’s most prominent television pundits, regularly and bluntly dissecting United’s shortcomings from the studio rather than the dugout.

With Carrick now firmly established as head coach, that direct involvement at his former club will not be coming — at least not this time.