Roy Keane tipped for stunning Man Utd comeback as Sir Jim Ratcliffe plots shakeup after takeover
ROY KEANE has been tipped to make a sensational Manchester United return by one of his former team-mates.
The Irishman starred for the Red Devils between 1992 and 2005 before making a bitter exit following a falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Keane, 52, spent the rest of the 2005-06 season at Celtic before hanging up his boots for good.
He subsequently launched his coaching career, winning the Championship title with Sunderland in 2007.
The former Man Utd captain then managed Ipswich between 2009 and 2011, but has not held a managerial position since.
In the meantime he spent five years as Martin O’Neill‘s assistant with the Ireland national team.
While he also had a short stint as Celtic legend Paul Lambert‘s No2 at Aston Villa in 2014.
Keane has not held a coaching position since 2019 when he again assisted O’Neill, this time at Nottingham Forest.
British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is on the verge of completing his 25 per cent partial takeover in Man Utd.
And former Red Devils captain Steve Bruce thinks that as part of Ratcliffe’s shake up, Keane could sensationally return after nearly 19 years away.
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Chatting to the Irish Examiner, Bruce said: “It wouldn’t surprise me to see Roy take up a role at Man Utd.
“We all know how highly he’s thought of at the club as he was there for 13 years and served as a huge captain for them.
“Who knows? I’m sure he’d be open to any discussion.”
Keane has not been shy in his criticism of Man Utd while working as a pundit for Sky Sports in recent years.
Last month he vowed that he would strip Bruno Fernandes of the captaincy following United’s 3-0 Manchester derby defeat to City.
He said: “After today and having watched him again I would definitely take the captaincy off him. 100 per cent.
“I know it’s a big decision, obviously he changed the captaincy with [Harry] Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material.”
Keane continued: “I think he’s a talented player no doubt about it.
“But what I saw from him today; his whinging, his moaning, he’s throwing his arms up in the air constantly, it really isn’t acceptable.
“And what we saw today, I would take it off him.
“Cause we’re talking about making changes, you have to start somewhere whether it’s board level, managers, I would start with that because the manager is capable of doing that and holding his hands up and saying ‘listen I got it wrong’.
“In terms of captain material, he’s the opposite to what I would want in a captain.”