Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has once again discussed Michael Carrick’s chances of getting the permanent head coach role at the club after an impressive start at Old Trafford
10:39, 29 Jan 2026Updated 11:10, 29 Jan 2026
Roy Keane has been discussing Michael Carrick’s chances of keeping the Manchester United manager job permanently(Image: (Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images))
Roy Keane has changed his mind on Michael Carrick, making clear he is now open to the idea of the interim head coach being handed the job on a permanent basis, after an impressive start to life at Manchester United.
The 44-year-old was parachuted in mid-season to help steer the club for the rest of the season, following an abrupt end to Ruben Amorim’s time with United. With the Premier League table wide open, there is a sense that European qualification is on the cards, if Carrick can guide the team well.
The early signs are positive, with impressive performances and results against Manchester City and Arsenal, with a suggestion that there is much more to come. While it remains to be seen what can be done in the remaining matches of the season, Keane has seemingly changed his tune on the interim boss after just two matches.
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Speaking on Stick To Football, he said: “I hope they give it [the permanent job] to him. I hope they give it to him in the summer.”
That was challenged by Gary Neville, who responded: “You said the other day, Roy…” seemingly about to bring up that Keane was previously against that suggestion. Keane interrupted and responded: “I don’t think it’s the right decision, good luck with it.
“Yeah, but, I’m sticking to my guns. I’ve said my piece, I think that he’s got the job, and if he gets it in the summer then you go ‘listen, good luck to him’, but as a caretaker manager, it’s a different animal to being manager of United trying to win league titles over the next two, three, four, five years, whatever it might be.
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“I think you can get a better manager than Carrick, absolutely. But I think he’s doing a good job, perfect timing for him, and even if he doesn’t get the United job, these results a bit like Ruud [Van Nistelrooy], he can get another job, probably another Premiership manager.
“But just cause you’re doing well at United, it doesn’t mean he’ll do well at another club. He’s got the players back, it’s all been sliding doors moments. Great for him, and he’s took advantage of it.”
While it isn’t a total U-turn from Keane, who is still unconvinced on the move as a whole, it is a change of tune in believing that the job should be handed to Carrick. The 54-year-old has been vocal about the situation surrounding the interim role at United, raising some eyebrows when he aimed a dig at Carrick’s wife in a previous podcast episode.
Michael Carrick has impressed with two wins in two at Manchester United(Image: (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images))
That seemingly brought to light a previous feud surrounding the pair, but full focus for the current caretaker manager has been on the job at hand at Old Trafford. While it may have required some convincing, victories against both Man City and Arsenal certainly help Carrick’s case to be the permanent hire for the head coach role.
It’s not just the results, but the performances too, which have shown the right mix of gritty determination with a cutting edge in attack. It may still be early for many to judge the former midfielder on the small sample size so far, but there may be a better idea of how his team are really performing when they take on Fulham at the weekend.
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Carrick isn’t getting carried away, however, nor is he likely to be coaxed into talking about the possibility of staying on as permanent head coach. “I think it’s more about the feeling that this gives us, really, as a group,” he said after the victory over Arsenal at the weekend.
“And the players and as a club, and certainly the supporters. That’s my concern – how that can bring us together and lift us, in a real positive manner. I’m not getting all carried away, we’ve got some bigger games coming up, because the next game is always the bigger game.
“So we’re not getting carried away. We’ve got really important things coming up and we need to keep improving. Two massive games, there’s a lot of emotion, a lot of energy and a lot of confidence that you can take but we’ve got to be humble and understand how we’ve got these results. That’s really important moving forward.”