Manchester United blocked an interview request from Sky Sports that would have seen Michael Carrick talking to Roy Keane before the Manchester derby following the latter's controversial remarks about his wife
12:22, 19 Jan 2026Updated 12:49, 19 Jan 2026
Roy Keane on Sky Sports
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Roy Keane was set for an awkward interview with Michael Carrick(Image: Sky Sports)
Sky Sports made a request that could have led to Manchester United's interim manager Michael Carrick being interviewed by Roy Keane, just days after the latter had criticised Carrick's wife.
The broadcaster proposed that Carrick participate in a pre-match interview directly with the studio ahead of the Manchester derby. This would have set up a potentially tense exchange between Keane and Carrick before the match.
However, Sky did secure their interview, but it was conducted by Gary Neville in the tunnel rather than in the studio, following intervention from United officials, according to the Daily Mail.
Two individuals, dressed in dark coats, engage in an animated conversation while holding microphones. The setting appears to be a tunnel adorned with a red archway. Several individuals are seen walking in the background, suggesting an active and bustling environment. The backdrop features the text "THE THEATRE OF LIFE," hinting at a theatrical or performance-related context.
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Michael Carrick was instead interviewed by Gary Neville(Image: Sky Sports)
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Earlier in the week, Keane had labelled Carrick's wife Lisa Roughead as "a big mouth" during his appearance on the Overlap. His remarks were likely spurred by a social media post she had made and subsequently deleted, in response to Keane criticising her husband for giving a lacklustre interview after a Champions League defeat to Olympiakos in 2014.
Twelve years ago, Carrick's wife had hit back at Keane's critique of the interview, posting on social media: "Roy Keane what a **** will say anything to provoke a reaction."
Although she quickly removed the post, Keane evidently hadn't forgotten about it and brought it up again last week following Carrick's appointment.
Michael Carrick celebrates victory over Manchester City
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Michael Carrick beat Manchester City in his first game in charge(Image: 2026 Visionhaus)
He said: "His wife can always come in [if Carrick doesn't do well], cause she's got a bit of a big mouth sometimes. She's probably doing the team talk."
Carrick enjoyed the ideal start to his spell at Old Trafford, orchestrating a 2-0 triumph over Manchester City that could have been even more emphatic.
The former midfielder has been handed the reins until the season's end, but there's already speculation about him securing the position permanently if he can offer direction and steer them towards Champions League qualification.
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Keane has been scathing about his former side turning to ex-players yet again, and equally vocal regarding the composition of the coaching setup. United have travelled this path previously, appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before dismissing him after almost three years at the helm.
Jonny Evans is amongst those who have joined the coaching ranks, despite his limited experience, which particularly irked Keane. He remarked: "Jonny Evans left Man United about four, five, six weeks ago right? He left in the summer as a player and they gave him a job as a loans manager. Leaves a month or two ago, had enough of that - not 10 years doing it, a few months.
"My issue with Jonny, he's got no coaching. It's not like he's worked with the academy for a few years."