Michael Carrick Delivers Brutal Roy Keane Put Down After Swipe at His Wife

Keane dragged up a run-in with Lisa Carrick from more than a decade ago in a recent series of typically outspoken comments.

Michael Carrick’s suitability for Man Utd has been questioned. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

Manchester United’s freshly appointed manager Michael Carrick wrote off negative comments from Roy Keane or any other retired professionals as “totally irrelevant.”

Carrick’s appointment for the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign has not inspired a great deal of confidence from the glut of former United players scattered across the English football media landscape.

Gary Neville expressed the prevailing sentiment in the most recent episode of the Stick to Football podcast. “There cannot be any consideration that Michael takes the job beyond this season,” Carrick’s former teammate concluded.

Keane’s grievances with the decision stretched back to a feud with Carrick’s wife, Lisa, almost 12 years ago.

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Roy Keane’s Swipe at Carrick’s Wife

Roy Keane is never slow to make a barbed comment. | Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

During Neville’s assessment of Carrick’s coaching credentials, Keane butted in to snipe: “His wife can always come in because she’s got a bit of a big mouth sometimes. She’s probably doing the team talk.”

The former United captain, who left the club eight months before Carrick joined to inherit his No. 16 shirt in the summer of 2006, previously had a run-in with the player’s spouse after a Champions League game in 2014.

Keane was not impressed with her husband’s showing on the pitch or in the mixed zone after a 2–0 defeat to Olympiacos. “That interview was just like the performance: flat,” the retired Republic of Ireland international said on ITV. “He should say a bit more, have a bit more urgency even in his interview.”

Lisa Carrick took to Twitter after the match to write: “Roy Keane what a ----, says anything to provoke a reaction.” The post was soon removed and replaced with the message: “Deleted my tweet... Emotions got the better of me.”

More than a decade on, Keane had not forgotten, or forgiven.

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Carrick Emphatically Not Bothered

Michael Carrick’s Man Utd reign starts with a Manchester derby. | Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images

It’s rare to see Carrick animated for good or bad and his response to Keane’s bitter barbs was typically po-faced. “It didn’t bother me,” the stony coach shrugged.

“They’re not putting more pressure on me,” Carrick added, addressing the wider coterie of United talking heads all with plenty to say about their former club. “There are plenty of opinions around, some positive, some not too much. It’s totally irrelevant in terms of what I focus on.

“There’s a lot that can be said, it’s the way of the world. I’m not going to pay too much attention to that.

“For me, the players and staff, we focus on how we’re going to succeed.”

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Keane Slams Carrick’s Backroom Staff

Jonny Evans made 241 appearances for Man Utd across two spells at the club. | IMAGO/PRiME Media Images

Keane’s disdain did not revolve solely around the Carricks. The embittered former Sunderland and Ipswich Town manager had an axe to grind when it came to the new backroom staff in charge for the remainder of the season. “What has Jonny Evans done to be a coach at Man Utd first team?” Keane fumed.

The former United centre back served as a loan player manager for five months before leaving his post in December. Evans was on holiday with Carrick and Wayne Rooney in Barbados over the festive period before leaving early to support Darren Fletcher during his stint as the interim interim for United’s first two games after Ruben Amorim’s sacking. The hodgepodge team failed to beat Burnley or Brighton.

“Jonny Evans leaves Man Utd four or five weeks ago as a loans manager and then Fletch [Darren Fletcher] gives him a job,” Keane seethed. “Strangely enough gives him a job, has two games, Fletch goes and Carrick gives him a job. Great, isn’t it? We should all go to Barbados for a week.”

Even Fletcher didn’t manage to escape Keane’s ire. “Fletch knows the club,” he scoffed. “He works at the academy. He knows the girl in the canteen. He rings Ferguson to ask him what socks he’s going to wear in the morning. And how did the two games go?”

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