Roy Keane as Sunderland manager slammed by talkSPORT pundit after Wearside return links emerge

The Black Cats’ former boss continues to be linked with a return to Wearside with reports suggesting an interview between the two parties is set to take place and that the club are keen on his return.

Keane, 50, led Sunderland to promotion from the Championship in 2007 and is a popular figure on Wearside.

Gabby Agbonlahor, however, wasn’t impressed when he worked under Keane and Paul Lambert at Aston Villa and warned Sunderland about appointing him.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “The gaffer, Paul Lambert, says ‘this isn’t good enough’, ‘the standard’s not good enough’. So me as captain, I come forward and back the players up, and say, ‘well gaffer, we’re only getting one shot in 10 or 11 minutes, so we need to do something different’.

“Roy Keane comes forward and says, ‘oh, are you cold? Do you want another warm up?’ And I sort of said, ‘I’m not talking to you, Roy, I’m talking to the manager’. And he gave me that evil stare, and then the next day, he left.”

“If I’m the Sunderland owner now, I’m thinking twice because he [Keane] might go in there and make them even worse.”

Indeed, Keane is now the favourite with the bookies to be appointed by Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

Grant McCann and Neil Warnock remain close to Keane in the betting with the bookies also offering odds on Jonathan Woodgate, Sam Allardyce and Gus Poyet.

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Sunderland coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription; sign up here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor