Roy Keane hints at why he rejected Sunderland in 2022 following Lee Johnson sacking

Roy Keane has hinted at his reasons for rejecting the Sunderland job after Lee Johnson was sacked two years ago.

Keane has been linked with a return to management numerous times in the last couple of years and came close to taking the Sunderland job in 2022 before Alex Neil’s eventual appointment.

Speculation was rife that the former Manchester United legend was on the verge of returning to the club he led to promotion to the Premier League back in 2007 with talks taking place between club and coach before eventually reaching an impasse.

"There are a lot of people out of work who are scared to say no to jobs and they will go in under any circumstances, even if the contract is only for a year and there’s no payoff and you can’t bring any staff in," Roy Keane said on The Overlap. "It depends on the club. There are that many managers out there desperate for work, they are desperate for work!"

Keane continued: “You can sit down with a club and have all the positive chats. I think I was asked a couple of years ago and I spoke to one or two clubs and a club offered me a job, maybe two years ago. It was all great and it was all positive, good feedback and then they give you an offer and you think nah, I cannot sign that contract. I can’t.

"Thank god that I’m not that desperate that I need to sign it because I go back and I say to people that you need to have a little bit of self-worth," Keane concluded.