Manchester United had blockbuster plans in place when INEOS decided to sack Ruben Amorim back in early 2026, but unfortunately, they never came to pass.
Michael Carrick was eventually handed the reins on an interim basis, and he subsequently guided the Red Devils to an impressive third-place finish in the Premier League, thereby enabling a return to the Champions League.
Things have gone south since then, and The Sun have claimed that former United skipper and club legend Roy Keane was close to a return to the club as a coach.
Carrick was competing with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the interim gig, with the former United boss keen for another crack at the Old Trafford job.
Roy Keane could have been Solskjaer’s No.2
In his first spell, the Norwegian had Carrick and Kieran McKenna as his assistant coaches, but both had their eyes on a top job.
The “baby-faced assassin” then zeroed in on the ex-Republic of Ireland international as his No.2. However, INEOS ended up going with the safer option of bringing Carrick on board.
“ROY KEANE was lined up for a sensational return to Manchester United if Michael Carrick had never got the job.
“Old Trafford chiefs interviewed Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the interim job when Ruben Amorim was sacked in January.
Fans would have loved having Keane back
“And it can now be revealed the Norwegian’s potential choice for his No2 was former United captain Keane.”
Roy Keane returning to the fold would have made for blockbuster entertainment, with the club legend not afraid of calling a spade a spade during his commentary stint.
He would have whipped the squad into shape, but frictions behind the scenes would have erupted given his no-nonsense approach.
The 55-year-old has spoken of his desire to return to coaching after stints at Sunderland and Ipswich.
The Old Trafford favourite had won seven league titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League in a trophy-laden 12-year spell at the Theatre of Dreams. Whether such an opportunity will ever arise in the future remains to be seen.
Feature image Alex Pantling via Getty Images
