Roy Keane mentions Sunderland and Ipswich Town in Jadon Sancho debate | OneFootball

Highlights

Roy Keane has referenced former clubs Ipswich Town and Sunderland as he weighed into the debate over Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho.

Keane leaned on his experience in charge of the two Championship clubs as he assessed the situation facing Sancho and United manager Erik ten Hag.

Jadon Sancho latest

The England international has not featured for the Red Devils since August due to a public falling out with his manager. Ten Hag revealed after the Arsenal game that Sancho had not been involved due to poor performance in training and Sancho took to social media to claim he'd become a "scapegoat" in response.

He continues to find himself out of favour at Old Trafford as a result and there have been reports that he could be on the move in January.

Roy Keane on Jadon Sancho's situation at Man United

It's been a talking point across English football so it was no shock that Keane weighed in on the latest episode of the Stick To Football podcast.

What may have been a surprise was that he pulled former clubs Sunderland and Ipswich into the debate - referencing his time at both as he assessed the situation.

He said: "I’ve never banished a player to play for the reserves as a manager, but obviously every story is different. Because it’s Manchester United, maybe everyone is looking for them to make a mistake.

"I’ve never had the experience of banishing a player and he doesn’t play for the first team. I don’t think I ever did anything wrong [to require an apology]. Maybe when I was sent off, I must've said ‘sorry lads’.

"I must’ve said sorry in the dressing room after if I'd been sent off, and I would have no problem. Jokes aside, If I'd done something wrong, apologising, absolutely no problem.

"I fell out with a few [players, while managing]. I didn’t banish them, but I fell out with lads when I was manager of Sunderland, Ipswich, when I was working with Martin [O’Neill] at Ireland.

"I look back and I analyse it, and I was convinced – and I still am – that I was right. The lads that I fell out with were idiots who never did anything with their lives of their careers afterwards, so that gives me a bit of comfort.

"No one's ever proved me wrong on that side of it. I have pulled players in, and you would have discussions and arguments, but players can be wrong obviously.”

“Action [is leadership] – what you do on the training pitch, how you lead yourself around the training ground, how you speak to staff, how you speak to your teammates. Leadership is about action.

"Training is key for me. It’s about how you train. I find it hard to have a conversation about a player who doesn’t train properly. I just cannot understand it, I'm not even up for that type of debate.”

Could Roy Keane's former sides Sunderland and Ipswich Town get promoted this season?

Keane's former clubs have enjoyed impressive starts to the 2023/24 campaign and are both in the play-off places as things stand as a result.

In what is there first season back in the Championship, Ipswich have been the surprise package and sit second in the table with 21 points from eight games.

They're now led by Kieran McKenna, who has Man United links of his own, and look set to be in the race for promotion this term.

Sunderland, too, are in the mix and after a slow start to the new campaign have found their feet in recent weeks.

Tony Mowbray's side lost in the play-offs last term and are without some key attacking players, with Amad Diallo back at Old Trafford and Ross Stewart joining Southampton, but look capable of launching another challenge this season.