Roy Keane was linked with a return to Sunderland as their manager in 2022, with the owners now confirming how close he was to getting the job.
Roy Keane’s sensational return to Sunderland may not have been as close as first reported, according to Sunderland co-owners Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori. It comes as the former manager was heavily linked with the vacant post in 2022.
With the new ownership taking charge in the midst of a promotion push from League One, the decision was made to dismiss Lee Johnson after a downturn in form. The Black Cats were still looking to recover from back-to-back relegation, with playoff heartache denying them Championship football.
There had been plenty of struggles and with no immediate candidates to replace Johnson at Sunderland, questions arose over the decision. Keane quickly became labelled as a frontrunner, especially given his history with the club.
Roy Keane Sunderland documentary
Sunderland co-owners Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori discussed just the reality surrounding Roy Keane’s potential return in 2022 during season three of the Netflix documentary “Sunderland ‘Till I Die”. It seems as though, according to the pair, it wasn’t very close.
Louis-Dreyfus told Netflix: “The Roy Keane potential with Sunderland played out much more in the media than it really did in conversations that we had in the club. The second we did make the change, I knew there was gonna be criticism in the moment, but the only thing I try to do is to make the decisions that I feel are the right ones for the football club.”
Juan Sartori added: “I think Roy Keane would have been fun, definitely good for the Netflix series, but maybe we had a third season of disastrous finishing.”
The owners opted for Alex Neil instead, with the Scottish coach securing a return to the Championship through the playoffs. A 2-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley was a highlight of his short tenure, with Neil leaving for Stoke City just months after.
Roy Keane Sunderland record
Roy Keane’s potential return to Sunderland sparked plenty of excitement within the fanbase at the time. Much of that will be down to the former manager impressing during his first spell at the club, where he made plenty of memories.
Taking charge in 2006, Keane inherited a team that were in the relegation zone and transformed them into league winners by the end of the season while earning himself a Manager of the Year award. He would later resign in 2008, before managing Ipswich Town in 2009.
