The reason Roy Keane's return to Sunderland fell through before Alex Neil's eventual appointment
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The Irishman turned down an offer to become Sunderland’s next head coach after interviewing for the job.
Lee Johnson was sacked from the role following the 6-0 thrashing away to Bolton Wanderers towards the back end of January.
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Hide AdThe Black Cats hierarchy interviewed several candidates for the job and held talks with Keane, Grant McCann, Alex Neil and Sabri Lamouchi.
Keane was understood to be the preferred candidate on Wearside but a deal could not be reached and the Wearsiders turned towards Neil instead.
Indeed, Keane sent Sunderland fans into a frenzy on social media when he was asked about the job links during a game broadcast on ITV.
The former Cats and Ipswich Town boss playfully grinned as he refused to comment on the noise surrounding the job.
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Hide AdSpeculation has been rife in the aftermath of the Keane to Sunderland saga that the ex-Manchester United captain had rejected the offer due to money.
However, The Sun state that Keane snubbed a return to management with club Sunderland because of the length of the contract.
The Black Cats were reportedly only willing to offer Keane, who would have been required to cease work as a pundit with Sky and ITV, a contract until the end of the season.
Keane, 50, apparently was not concerned about the drop in wages but there was no chance for him to plan ahead with the length of contract discussed.
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Hide AdAsked why the move had collapsed, Keane joked: "As usual, it comes down to money.”
Speaking at The Overlap Live in Manchester via The Daily Mail, he added: “I've said it before. The deal has to be right for everyone.
"It didn't fall into place last week. It wasn't meant to be.
“Everything has to be right. The right challenge. The right contract. You have to fancy it.”
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Hide Ad“If I don't get another chance, it's no big deal,' Keane added on his future in management.
“You need a bit of luck. The right club has to give you the call. That hasn't happened. It's no big deal.”