Roy Keane is close to a return to management, with his former employers Sunderland linked with him once more. Despite being third in the League One table, the club has sacked manager Lee Johnson and is looking for a replacement.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, the owner of the club, has held positive talks with Keane about the job, which could lead to the Irishman returning to the bench.
Sunderland close to recruiting Roy Keane as new manager
Roy Keane previously managed Sunderland between 2006 and 2008, in a successful spell. He was able to lead the team back into the Premier League after earning a promotion in 2007 and helped them stay in the top flight the following season. However, he resigned in 2008 after falling out with former owner Ellis Short.
The current owner, Louis-Dreyfus believes that a fan-favourite manager is needed to get the excitement back at the club. And Roy Keane seems to be the right man for the job, with a strong and opinionated personality as seen from his time as a pundit.
Keane has also worked as an assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland before Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. His only other spell as a manager was for Ipswich Town, where he was in charge between 2009 and 2011.
The return of Keane, if it goes through, will be only days after the return of Jermain Defoe, who signed with the club until the end of the season.
