Roy Keane has been propped up as the ideal next Manchester United manager
Teddy Sheringham wants Roy Keane to succeed Ruben Amorim as Manchester United manager and has claimed that the Irishman could "ruffle a few feathers".
Amorim was appointed by United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as head coach in November, taking over after Erik ten Hag’s woeful start to this season. Yet the Red Devils arguably appear even worse now than they did earlier in the campaign, with Amorim suffering a torrid time in his first four months in England.
The Portuguese tactician has won just 10 of his games in charge in all competitions, losing nine matches in a frustrating run that sees United down in the bottom half of the table. United icon Sheringham, who won the Treble with the club as a player, believes Keane - his vocal and tenacious leader during that time - is exactly who his struggling former side require at this moment in time.
The Irishman is widely regarded as the club’s greatest ever captain, having made 480 appearances and won seven Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Speaking to Prime Casino, Sheringham was asked to name one former team-mate who could fix United’s lack of leadership. Without hesitation, he said: “Roy Keane, without a doubt. There's no leaders at the football club. You need leaders at top football clubs. You know your John Terrys, your Tony Adams, your Roy Keanes, players that lead by example and make sure other people are doing their jobs.
“No one's doing that at Manchester United. So, get Roy Keane in there to ruffle a few feathers, make sure that they all understand what they should be doing and do it.
Sheringham then elaborated that he sees Keane as the ideal candidate if Amorim departs, adding: “Roy’s been out of work for a little while now. I wouldn't be averse to having him back at the football club, but I think there's only one role for Roy Keane and he needs to be the leader.
“If they're thinking about changing Amorim, for me, putting someone back in charge like, it would be a leadership coup to do that and get Roy in.
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim is struggling at Manchester United ( Image: Nigel French/Sportsphoto)
“There might be fireworks at certain times, but it needs to be sorted out, doesn't it? Manchester United needs shaping up in there.
“I don't know whether he's evolved in his time away, if he’s ready to go back into football or not. His ego would probably take him back in there as well.”
Sky Sports pundit Keane was last in the dugout as Martin O’Neill’s assistant at Nottingham Forest, leaving his position in June 2019. Before that, he had a five-year spell assisting O’Neill with the Republic of Ireland national team, as well as a brief spell as Paul Lambert’s No.2 at Aston Villa in 2014.
His only managerial roles include two-and-a-half-years in charge at Sunderland from 2006 to 2008 and just under two years as boss of Ipswich from April 2009 to January 2011.
The ex-Republic of Ireland international spoke to the Football Association of Ireland over potentially succeeding Stephen Kenny after his departure in November 2023, but the two parties could not reach an agreement. The 53-year-old was most recently linked with managing Scottish side Hibernian in October.
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