Roy Keane Names Surprise Pick for Next Man Utd Manager

Darren Fletcher is currently looking after things at Old Trafford.

Roy Keane’s often outspoken about his former employers. / Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images, Visionhaus/Getty Images

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has named Eddie Howe as his preferred candidate to become the club’s next manager.

The Red Devils terminated the contract of Ruben Amorim on Monday, bringing to an end a rollercoaster 14-month tenure that saw plenty of ups, downs and cash being spent on new players.

The breakdown of Amorim’s relationship with key figures at United—namely technical director Jason Wilcox—has been cited as the primary reason for his departure, although results have remained inconsistent this season despite being an improvement on the record low 2024–25 campaign.

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Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher is currently minding the ship while the club looks for an interim manager to take them through to the end of the season—Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick are the two leading candidates to return to Old Trafford.

In the background, United will work on identifying a new permanent boss to take charge—and Sky Sports pundit Keane is of the view that Howe, who is currently Newcastle United manager, has the right character and experience to take over and be successful.

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Keane: Howe Has Right Temperament

Eddie Howe’s work at Newcastle hasn’t gone unnoticed. / IMAGO/Every Second Medi

“I’d go with Eddie Howe. I like him,” Keane said. “I like what he’s done. He’s managed a lot of games. When his teams are at it, they’ll play good football. He has his critics, but I like what he's done at Newcastle.

“He’s managed seven or 800 games. He’s still a young man. I love his calmness. Maybe Man Utd need a little bit of that.

“We’ve seen with our previous [appointments], we like people with emotions, but he’s got that calmness. The job he’s done at Newcastle, Champions League and winning a cup, I’d be happy to see him go in there.”

“Do I think Fletch is the man to do it? Absolutely not,” he continued. “But he’s stepping into do it for a few weeks and a few months. He’ll probably win a few games. If they go with Ole, good luck to them. I wish him well.

“They need to get a top manager in to get a grip of the dressing room.”

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Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United record

Statistic	Eddie Howe at Newcastle
Games Managed	203
Games Won	103
Win Percentage	50.74%
Best Premier League Finish	4th (2022–23), 5th (2024–25)
Achievements	2024–25 EFL Cup

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Howe’s Response to Man Utd Links

Eddie Howe’s got the best out of Newcastle. / George Wood/Getty Images

Howe has been at St James’ Park since November 2021 and ended their 70-year wait for a major trophy by winning the 2024–25 EFL Cup. He previously spent just shy of eight years in charge of Bournemouth—his second stint on the south coast after managing the club between 2008 and 2011—and also managed Burnley while they were in the Championship.

He was strongly linked to the England manager’s job prior to Thomas Tuchel’s appointment, but has always remained committed to Newcastle. And that stance seemingly hasn’t wavered in the face of Amorim’s departure—Howe telling the media that he’s not interested in being lured away from Tyneside.

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“No, not at this current time. The most important thing for me is happiness in the role, happiness in the job. The relationships I have with the people around me.

“Now, that’s not always been consistently good and things can change at any football club. But, at the moment, I am very happy. We have made some great appointments in the roles we needed to fill and as long as I can express myself in the best way possible, the best version of myself to help the players and the club [I’ll stay].

“Because ultimately, for any club to be successful, there has to be unity from top to bottom and a good feeling between everybody. I’ve had an unbelievable relationship with the board here since I’ve come to the football club and that’s never changed.

“I’m very happy and I hope that continues for a long time.”

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