Scholes and Butt back Keane for United job as Nagelsmann leads three-man shortlist

Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have offered a light-hearted endorsement of Roy Keane as a potential Manchester United manager, even as Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte and Eddie Howe emerge as the club’s leading candidates to replace interim head coach Michael Carrick.

Appearing on the Good, the Bad and the Football podcast, Butt and Scholes played a game in which they responded to potential United managerial candidates with a simple yes or no. When Keane’s name was raised, Butt smiled and said “It would be fun,” prompting Scholes to laugh and reply “I don’t see why not.” Both men acknowledged the response carried a strong hint of tongue-in-cheek.

Carrick was handed the interim role following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal and is currently being given time to steady the ship, though his future beyond the November international break remains uncertain. Nagelsmann is reported to be the frontrunner among the three primary targets, with Unai Emery and Kieran McKenna also mentioned as more ambitious options in the frame.

Scholes and Butt were similarly positive about both Emery and McKenna when their names came up. Scholes offered the same “I don’t see why not” verdict on each, while Butt noted that McKenna “knows the club” — a reference to the Canadian’s time as United assistant under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, José Mourinho, Ralf Rangnick and during Carrick’s first interim spell.

McKenna also managed United’s Under-18s for nearly two years before going on to lead Ipswich Town from December 2021 to June 2026, earning two promotions to the Premier League during his five seasons in charge. He departed Portman Road at the start of the current season and has since been linked with Crystal Palace, who are struggling under Pierre Sage.

A separate report from the Sun claimed Keane had been considered as a potential assistant to Solskjaer, had the Norwegian been reinstated rather than Carrick. Had that happened, it would have been Keane’s first coaching role since a seven-month stint as Martin O’Neill’s number two at Nottingham Forest, which ended in November 2019.