Latest news on Sunderland’s next manager: Rangers’ champion and former Celtic star is a contender

Following the dismissal of former Rangers head coach Michael Beale, former player for Manchester United and Celtic who is now a pundit Roy Keane is the clear favorite to take over as Sunderland manager.

Beale’s tenure as the Mackems’ leader was, to put it mildly, disastrous. In his 12 Championship games in charge, he only managed four victories, two draws, and six losses. Fans of Sunderland will undoubtedly be hoping for their new head coach to get things going more quickly.

Keane was Sunderland’s previous manager. August 2006 to December 2008 was his first season with the Black Cats, and it also represented his first move into senior team management.

There are other intriguing names in the mix besides him. The latest estimates suggest that Steven Gerrard, who won the Premiership with Rangers in 2021, is potentially a candidate for the Sunderland position. The legendary player from Liverpool currently manages Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, but it’s unclear at this time if he would be open to moving from Saudi Arabia to Sunderland.

Many predicted Keane would succeed as a football manager after he retired from professional football in 2006 at Celtic. Being an assertive captain who always got the best out of his teammates, he was an amazing leader. Additionally, he had trained under two of the most recognizable British sports managers of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough.

Needless to say, for the 52-year-old, things haven’t quite gone that way thus far. Along with his tenure at Sunderland, Keane managed Ipswich Town from 2009 until his dismissal in January 2011 due to a dismal run of results. Keane hasn’t led a senior squad since then. Since then, he has held a number of coaching positions, but none as a first-team manager.