Roy Keane has shared the brilliant story of when he tried to sign midfielder Matt Taylor for Sunderland.
Roy Keane was appointed Sunderland boss in 2006, in what was his first job since he retired from playing football.
The Irishman guided the Black Cats from 23rd in the Championship to the Premier League at the first time of asking, before resigning in December 2008.
Keane signed a number of players during his time on Wearside, welcoming both of his former Manchester United teammates Dwight Yorke and Liam Miller to the club shortly after his arrival, as well as the likes of Ross Wallace and David Connolly.
The former midfielder continued to snap up quality players from his old club, bringing in the likes of Kieran Richardson, Phil Bardsley and Jonny Evans. He did steer away from the Red Devils though, signing names such as Djibril Cisse and Kenwyne Jones.
One transfer target that Keane failed to land was Matt Taylor.
The utility player had spent the last six years with Portsmouth and had notably been awarded the BBC Goal of the Month for a stunner against Sunderland in October 2005.
Despite being linked to the likes of Tottenham and Fulham, Taylor eventually lost his place in Pompey’s starting line-up and was looking for a move away.
Keane has now revealed the hilarious story of just how close Sunderland came to snapping him up.
Matt Taylor wasn’t keen to link up with Keane
Speaking on Gary Neville’s Stick To Football podcast, Keane said: “I tried to get Matty Taylor up to Sunderland, and he had options – Bolton were in for him. But I spoke to him up in the boardroom at Sunderland, late at night. We took him to the training ground, took him to the stadium. I’m not knocking the lad, absolutely not. I was doing a sales pitch, Sunderland are going places.
“He told me ‘I’ve got this off Bolton’. I was like, I think Sunderland’s a better club than Bolton, that’s my opinion. Whatever. Bolton can argue all day. I thought the chat went really well. I went outside, his car was over there, shook his hand. Brilliant. And you know, good lad. I said think about it, it’s a big decision. He went no problem, I’ve got my family to think about. I said no problem. Never rush a player, I would never.
“Shook his hand outside the Stadium of Light. I see him get in his car and I get a text. I can still see him. ‘Hi Roy, thanks for the chat, I’m going to Bolton.’ Car drives past me. Literally 30 seconds earlier he said it’s a big decision!”
It’s a brilliant story, but Matt Taylor is far from the biggest name that Sunderland came close to signing over the years.
One of the biggest was Virgil van Dijk, with the Liverpool defender previously admitting he had held talks over a move to Sunderland before he hit the headlines.
Other names include Kevin de Bruyne, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.