Dwight Yorke believes his old Manchester United team-mate and Sunderland boss Roy Keane could be in charge at Old Trafford today if only he could rein in his 'shoot-from-the-lip' tendencies. Legendary former Red Devils captain Keane cut his teeth in management on Wearside, joining in the summer of 2006 and spending just over two years in charge of the Black Cats where he led the club to promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt and kept them in the top flight in his second season at the helm.
Keane eventually left Sunderland in November 2008 after a fall-out with then-owner Ellis Short, since when he has had a spell as manager of Ipswich Town, and then as assistant manager at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and the Republic of Ireland. The 51-year-old has since worked as a media pundit famed for his straight-talking style and withering criticism, but Yorke - who was his first signing at Sunderland - says those same qualities have possibly cost him the chance of managing the Red Devils.
As a player, Keane's exit from Manchester United was also triggered by his explosive criticism of teammates to the club's own TV channel MUTV, with then-boss Sir Alex Ferguson taking a dim view and shortly afterwards the midfielder's contract was terminated by mutual consent. Asked about playing under Keane at Sunderland, Yorke told AceOdds: "It was great.
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"I saw him as a potential manager [while playing alongside him at Manchester United], you know, just because of his great leadership and the respect that he gains within the dressing room, which is what you require to be a manager. I've said it time and time again, Roy Keane has all the potential to be a great manager and he should have been.
"But Roy Keane is his own problem, really. He's his own problem, saying it as it is, you know, if he was a little bit more guided and a little bit more cuter in some of his approach, I think he would be the current manager of Man United today.
"Roy Keane lives and die by the way he sees things and that's fine. And when it's when it goes your way it's great. But I loved playing under Keano, loved my time being there [at Sunderland]. Getting to see the transition from him. I learned a lot. What to be like and what not to be like."
Since retiring as a player in the summer of 2009, Yorke has also worked as a media pundit and more recently had a stint as manager of Australian A-League side Macarthur FC, leaving the club in January this year.
