Roy Keane was a fiery player when he was part of a dominant Manchester United during the 1990s and turn of the century.

He played more than 300 matches for the Reds and was a constant menace in central midfield.  He was a dominant force for his Old Trafford team and wasn't afraid to show his emotions on and off the field. His love of the game was easy to see during his playing days and he has become a true legend at Old Trafford, loved by all the club’s fans.

His aggressive nature was not always welcomed by referees and Keane achieved a total of 11 red cards in his career, but this did not affect his success and the Irish midfielder won seven league, four FA Cup, and a Champions League medals with his beloved club. But could one of the best players to ever play in English football be able to match his success in the managerial game? We were soon to find out!

'Niall Quinn thought Keane would be the perfect man to get Sunderland out of trouble and back in the Premier League'


Keane took over as Sunderland boss in 2006, with the team already in relegation trouble. He forged a good partnership with the club’s owner, Niall Quinn, who thought Keane would be the perfect man to get Sunderland out of trouble and back in the Premier League.

Keane brought new players into the squad in 2006 and saw his team move steadily up the Championship table. He was tough on his players and the aggression he showed as a player soon became evident in his managerial style, taking no nonsense from his team.

Helped by his new signings, Keane had a fantastic season in charge and soon had Sunderland in title contention, showing he could win matches not only as a player but as a manager too. The team eventually won the Championship title in 2007 and manager Keane had done what was asked of him - taken Sunderland back to the Premier League.

But they were always going to struggle for survival in their first season back at the top. Keane couldn't work miracles and although he signed several players in his short time at the club these players where not of the class of Premier league big boys like Chelsea and Manchester United. They were good, but not world class. 

Dwight Yorke struggled to regain the form he showed as a United team-mate. The Trinidadian is probably the most high profile player at Sunderland, but Keane knew he was a veteran of the game and not at his best. Sunderland where one of the favourites to be relegated and go straight back down.

Although Keane has had some low points in his Premier league campaign, such as the 7-1 defeat by Everton, the Irishman has stuck to his guns and kept morale as high as possible. Players like Michael Chopra and Kieran Richardson have plugged away for their manager to pull Sunderland out of the relegation position with only a few games left of the season.

Their home form has been very good, including an impressive 1-0 win against Tottenham, but Sunderland have struggled away from home, losing 12 games already this season.

But their 1-0 win at Aston Villa yesterday was nothing less than sensational. It seems to me that Keane knows how to manage a team and knows how to get the best out of his youngsters. He has a wealth of experience as a player and he isn’t afraid to tell players where they are going wrong in the game.

Still only four points above the relegation area and with big matches coming up against a host of fellow strugglers, Keane needs to keep his team motivated and focused on survival. He doesn’t want to have to wait until the last game of the season – against Arsenal – to be able to breathe easily. 

I think Keane will save Sunderland from the drop, but he needs the utmost commitment from his players to be able to do this! Good luck Roy!