Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes have backed Roy Keane as a potential option to become the next Manchester United manager, alongside Unai Emery and Kieran McKenna, during a social media game in which they answered yes or no to 11 possible candidates.
United recently decided to give Michael Carrick more time to turn results around, but the general feeling is that Carrick's days at Old Trafford are numbered. Antonio Conte, Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are still considered the favourites for the role.
Keane gets the nod from former teammates
On the Good, the Bad and the Football podcast, when Keane's name was suggested, Butt said with a wry smile, "It would be fun," before Scholes laughed and replied, "I don't see why not."
The pair said no to Nagelsmann, Howe and Cesc Fabregas, who has been linked one week after the Como manager oversaw a 4-1 victory over United in the Champions League.
Emery and McKenna also backed
When Emery's name was mentioned, Scholes said "I don't see why not," and said the same about McKenna. Butt agreed on McKenna, stating he "knows the club," reflecting on the Northern Irishman's time as United assistant manager under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jose Mourinho, Ralf Rangnick and during Carrick's first interim spell.
Before working with the first team, McKenna spent nearly two years as manager of the club's Under-18s side. He later had a successful spell as Ipswich Town manager between December 2021 and June 2026, securing promotion to the Premier League on two occasions.
Keane's coaching history
Keane has not been in coaching since a five-month spell as assistant at Nottingham Forest, which ended in November 2019 when he worked as Martin O'Neill's assistant.
A recent report from the Sun claimed Keane was being eyed as a United assistant manager had Solskjaer been brought back instead of Carrick. Before Carrick was handed the job on an interim basis following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, Solskjaer was considered as a temporary option, and Keane could have been his right-hand man.
