'Might have been a blessing' - Niall Quinn delivers Roy Keane verdict after Sunderland return talks

Sunderland legend Niall Quinn has stated that Roy Keane's failed return to Sunderland may have been a "blessing."

Keane and Quinn played together for years with the Republic of Ireland before the former Sunderland striker turned chairman hired the one-time Manchester United man as the Black Cats' manager in 2006.

Keane would manage Sunderland to promotion from the Championship during his first season, then keeping the club in the Premier League the following campaign.

But Keane was to leave Sunderland in 2008 after a falling out with Sunderland's newly-installed owner Ellis Short.

The Black Cats remained in the Premier League for 10 seasons following promotion under Keane before then suffering back-to-back relegations to League One.

Sunderland remained in the third tier for four seasons before promotion under Alex Neil. However, Keane was heavily tipped to re-take the Sunderland job before Neil's appointment back in 2022 after the sacking of Lee Johnson.

Reports at the time stated that Sunderland's hierarchy had engaged in talks with Keane before both parties decided to break off negotiations.

"You hear things, but the honest answer is that I don't know how close Roy [Keane] was to becoming Sunderland manager last year.

"I don't really know of the Sunderland hierarchy right now, but to be honest with you, I think that when you look at the success he's had on Sky as a pundit, and the job Tony Mowbray has done, it might have been a blessing," Niall Quinn exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone.

"They always say don't go back; I always remember Howard Kendall going back to Everton. He had the most incredible record as a manager there, and everyone thought that when he returned, things would go back to as they were, and that the club would shoot straight back up the table and start winning things again.

"But that didn't happen, and then his star was less shiny, if you like. That's happened at a number of clubs; very rarely do you enjoy success on two separate occasions as a manager for the same club - so maybe it was best for all parties that Roy didn't get the job in the end."