Roy Keane's classy gesture to Sunderland tea lady that fans will love ahead of return talks

Back in November 2020, though, former Sunderland striker Chris Brown shared a touching story about Keane’s first stint at Sunderland.

The ex-Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Celtic hardman managed Sunderland between 2006 and 2008, leading the club to the Premier League.

And Keane’s no-nonsense attitude certainly proved a hit with supporters during his time on Wearside.

But former striker Brown – who played for the club between 2003 and 2007 – painted a different picture of the Irishman.

“I went back to Sunderland, probably two years ago,” Brown said on the Under The Cosh Podcast. “And I was speaking to the woman, there’s always a woman in the players’ lounge that does the drinks, does the food and all that.

"And I just said, ‘who has been your favourite manager?’ She said, ‘without a shadow of a doubt Roy Keane.’”

“Every home game, he used to come up, everyone had gone, and he used to come up and ask how she was and he’d give her a bit of pocket money to go away with.

"He didn’t have to do that, did he? Not many managers would go out of their way and just go and have a bit of chat with the tea lady in the players’ lounge and every week he would give her some money.”

Keane, 50, has been the assistant manager at Aston Villa, the Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest since being sacked as Ipswich Town boss in 2011 but has been heavily linked with a return to Wearside.