Keane may be gone for good

Roy Keane may permanently abandon his career as a football manager after walking out of ailing Sunderland last week.

While reports have linked Keane with a move to struggling Blackburn Rovers, sources close to the Irishman have indicated that he will be taking a long break from the game.

Keane’s plight elicited a rare moment of empathy from Manchester United supremo Sir Alex Ferguson, who worked with Keane when he played for the Red Devils.

“But there are very few managers that last more than 3-4 years at a club nowadays and the lifespan of a manager at a club is getting shorter and shorter,” Ferguson told the Guardian. “They can move on to different challenges, but it’s a very precarious industry nowadays and a very emotional game.”

Mark Hughes, another Manchester United stalwart turned manager believes that Keane will be back. However, others believe that even should Keane wish to return to management its unlikely that he’ll find any takers amongst the Premiership clubs after he walked out of Sunderland 48 hours before a crucial Premier League clash.

“No-one will give him the opportunity to manage a football club because they won’t trust him,” ex-Ireland teammate Tony Cascarino said. “That’s the bottom line.”