Dwight Yorke lifts the lid on signing for Sunderland - and why he's surprised Roy Keane isn't managing a top club

Not even a geographical blunder could stop Dwight Yorke becoming Roy Keane’s first signing at Sunderland.
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The pair were teammates at Manchester United before Keane turned his hand to management, taking the reigns at the Stadium of Light in 2006 following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

Tasked with returning the Black Cats to the Premier League, Keane turned to Yorke in a bid to add a trusted figure to his dressing room.

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He quickly convinced Yorke to jump on the first plane home, even if the conversation got off to a tricky start after a hilarious blunder from Keane.

“I went to the A-League to be their marquee player and then after one year I got a call and straight away I recognised the voice,” he said, speaking to MUTV.

“I knew he had the job at Sunderland and straight away I said: ‘Skip, what are you doing calling me?’ He said: ‘How’s America? I want you to come and play at Sunderland.’ America! He thought I was in America!

“But he convinced me to come back and sign for Sunderland, and to get them their promotion into the Premier League. I relished that opportunity. I jumped on the first plane back.”

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After leaving Sunderland in 2008, Keane took charge at Ipswich Town – but has not managed a club in almost a decade. He was most recently assistant manager at Nottingham Forest, but left his post in June 2019.

Yorke, though, believes he has all the ingredients to be a top manager having flourished under his leadership.

But he feels the former midfielder is often his worst enemy – which could prove a stumbling block when trying to land a managerial role.

“From a manager’s point of view, I have to say about Keano, I think he has all the ingredients,” said Yorke.

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“When he took the job he had the respect of all the players. He had the character to be a manager, and the respect. He has everything you want in a manager. Then in his first year he was very successful and got us promoted.

“For me, when I look back, I think that Keano should be in a big managerial position today, i.e. someone like Manchester United.“

“I think Keano is his own worst enemy,” he continued.

“After the years I’ve spent with him, some of the things he has done, I’m sure he will regret. Keano will live by the sword and die by the sword, but I’m sure there are things that he reflects he could have done better as manager.

“I think when you’re a manager you have to get people on your side and on the same page, even if they’re not on the same level that you thought, because you have to manage those people. I think that’s where Keano has kind of let himself down.”