Roy Keane admits management 'pilot light is still on' amid Celtic speculation

Roy Keane has left the door open for a return to football management, admitting the urge to take a job still surfaces when he watches matches — comments that arrive as speculation mounts over his potential involvement at Celtic.

Speaking to Micah Richards in a Sky Sports feature, Keane said the impulse tends to strike at weekends rather than during the working week. “Strangely enough, at weekends when I’m watching games, there are teams I watch and you go, ‘I think I could go in there and do a job,’” he said. “The pilot light is still on for something. If someone gave me a phone call and told you, you know what? Who knows? It’s going to be unlikely.”

Keane has been absent from the dugout for 15 years, having last managed Ipswich Town following an earlier stint at Sunderland. He also revealed he has turned down management opportunities in recent years in order to continue his broadcasting work.

The backdrop to his comments is a turbulent run of results at Celtic, where manager Martin O’Neill is under pressure after three defeats in seven days — including a loss to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup and a home defeat to Ferencvaros in the Europa League. A 1-0 league loss to Rangers at Celtic Park, during which Keane was spotted in the stands, intensified speculation about a potential succession plan.

Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson has since publicly backed O’Neill, meaning any decision over the manager’s future rests with the 74-year-old himself. Keane worked alongside O’Neill during the latter’s time in charge of the Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest.

When Richards suggested that management was “still in” Keane, the former Manchester United captain did not disagree. “Yeah. Because even when we’re watching games, you look at it from a manager’s point of view,” he said. “Yeah, maybe, maybe. But then to actually go in there and do it, the logistics of everything.”

Whether the speculation around Celtic translates into anything concrete remains to be seen, but Keane’s candid admission that he has not fully closed the door on a return will do little to quieten the rumours.