Former Sunderland player has his say on who he thinks should be the next Black Cats manager

Ex-Sunderland Player Michael Gray has had his say on who thinks should be the man to replace Lee Johnson as the next Black Cats manager.

The former left-back thinks Roy Keane should be the individual in pole position to be the next Sunderland manager. This comes after it was reported last night by Luke Edwards of the Telegraph that Keane had been offered the job on Wearside.

Gray played 363 times for the Black Cats after coming through the academy and the Boyhood Sunderland man has now back Keane to be the manager despite not being a manager for the last 11 years.

Keane took over at the Black Cats from Niall Quinn with the club in the relegation zone of the Championship in the early stages of the 2006-07 season.

The ex-Republic of Ireland international and seven-time Premier League winner oversaw a miraculous turn-around in Sunderland’s fortunes as he guided the club to the league title in the very same season.

After guiding the club to survival in their first season back in the top flight though, Keane walked out in December 2008. Since then he only held one more managerial post at Ipswich Town and it is now over 11 years since he held a job of that capacity.

Now despite them 11 years, Gray still believes Keane is the man to lead Sunderland back to the Sky Bet Championship.

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Gray told talkSPORT, via Sunderland Echo: “He’s obviously been at the club before and he was very successful, he got us into the Premier League where we stayed for a long time,” 

“I know Roy had left for a period when we were still in the Premier League, but I think he’d be a good appointment and I think the supporters will get right behind it.

“The Sunderland support have certainly bought into Roy Keane I know there are a few other names that have been touted around and I think over the last couple of seasons people are looking into Roy’s character because of what we see on television.

“I know he’s got that fire in his belly and he’s passionate about his football. He’s been a coach at Aston Villa and Ireland and he’s had a few other jobs.

“But I can only judge him on what I saw at Sunderland and the style of football he brought to the club and at the time all of the supporters absolutely loved that. So if he can get that going again, there’s no reason why the Sunderland supporters wouldn’t love him again.”

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