Roy Keane once made ‘very amateur’ blunder before first game as Sunderland boss that left players ‘laughing’

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Manchester United legend Roy Keane is one of the most loved, and feared, figures in football history, but fell victim to a ‘ridiculous’ gaffe in his first Sunderland team talk.

“That’s his job isn’t it?”. One of Manchester United legend Roy Keane’s many infamous quotes given on Sky Sports punditry duty.

Back in 2006, however, Keane hilariously failed to do his during his first team talk as Sunderland manager.

Keane arrived as Black Cats boss with the club struggling at the foot of the Championship, and would mastermind one of the greatest turnarounds in Sunderland history during their 2006/07 campaign.

Despite the title-winning triumph, the tough-talking Irishman began his stint as Sunderland boss with a hilarious howler, during his team talk before his debut game in the Black Cats dugout that left the Red Devils legend red in the face.

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Roy Keane recalls ‘very amateur’ blunder made during first Sunderland team talk

Keane was appointed Sunderland boss by club legend Niall Quinn for the 2006/07 Championship and would go on to win the second tier title in his first season on the touchline.

Despite his legendary status in the game, and fearful reputation, Keane’s hilarious blunder before his first match in charge of Sunderland left his squad in stitches before their 2-1 win.

Keane previously told League of 72: “It was my first game as a manger (Derby vs Sunderland), I remember the team talk I think people would’ve been apprehensive about me anyway, I suppose particularly from the players who didn’t know me, probably thought I was some sort of lunatic.

“I had a chat with the players at the hotel before we travelled to the stadium, spoke about a goalkeeper for Derby. Spoke about him for 10 minutes. And 10 minutes into my team talk, David Connolly had his arm up at the back of the room, which was quite annoying actually, but he had it up for ages.

“Eventually I said, David, what is it? He said, you know the goalkeeper you’re talking about, he was sold a few weeks ago.

“So believe it or not, I know it sounds really ridiculous and very amateur, but it just actually lightened the mood. We had a bit of a laugh. I obviously blamed the scouts, the scouting reports.”

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Manchester United icon Roy Keane will forever be remembered as a Sunderland legend

Keane’s hilarious howler would prove a welcome remedy to his hot-tempered reputation, with Sunderland going on to taste victory in his first game in charge, and then popping champagne corks 45 games later after securing the second tier winners trophy.

The 326-game Red Devils icon may be revered at Old Trafford throughout the generations, but his impact north up the A1 was just as impressive.

Keane managed to persuade fellow Manchester United icon Dwight Yorke to swap the sun-kissed beaches of Sydney for the showery skies of Sunderland.

“I remember ringing him from the training ground.” Keane added. ” It was pretty bleak. I remember looking out the window at the training ground. I think on a good day at Sunderland, it’s pretty bleak.

“I said, Yorkey, do you fancy coming to Sunderland? He said, you serious? He said he had a penthouse on Sydney Harbour. I said, yeah, that’ll always be there. I said, we’ve got a big challenge here. But as I said, I knew deep down he loved the game and I knew he fancied the challenge.

“I knew he’d lighten the mood. I knew the players would like him. The staff loved him because he’d come in in the morning. He always seemed happy. So he was the opposite to me.  So I knew he would be a big help and the players loved him.”

Keane stood down as Sunderland boss the following campaign with the Black Cats sat 18th in the Premier League, and was linked with a return to Wearside almost 15 years on in 2022, before Alex Neil’s appointment that ended in play-off final glory.

However, Keane’s Mackem Miracle – taking the club from the relegation zone to title winners in his first season as a head coach – was nothing short of miraculous and keeps his name etched into Sunderland supporters’ hearts for footballing eternity.