Roy Keane to Sunderland: Man Utd icon's classic story about deciding not to sign Robbie Savage

Roy Keane has been offered the Sunderland job, according to the Telegraph.

Keane has been out of management since being sacked by Ipswich Town in 2011.

The Irishman has held talks about the vacant Sunderland role and is reported to be mulling over a return.

Keane’s first role in management was at Sunderland.

He was first appointed by the Black Cats in 2006. He lasted just over two years in the job and was dismissed in 2008.

During his spell in charge, Keane tried to sign an ageing Robbie Savage.

Keane thought that Savage’s experience would help his side and he was keen to bring him to the club.

However, despite thinking he would be a good signing, Keane did not go through with it after listening to the Welshman’s voicemail.

Keane wrote in his autobiography, The Second Half, per talkSPORT: “I rang Mark Hughes. Robbie [Savage] wasn’t in the Blackburn team and I asked Mark if we could try to arrange a deal.

“Sparky said, ‘Yeah, yeah he’s lost his way here but he could still do a job for you’.

“Robbie’s legs were going a bit but I thought he might come up to us [at Sunderland] with his long hair, and give us a lift – the way [Dwight Yorke] Yorkie had, a big personality in the dressing room.

“Sparky gave me permission to give him a call. So I got Robbie’s mobile number and rang him.

“It went to his voicemail, ‘Hi it’s Robbie – whazzup!’ like the Budweiser ad.

“I never called him back. I thought: ‘I can’t be f***ing signing that’.”

Let that be a lesson to any footballers wanting to play under Keane: Make sure your voicemail is professional.

Savage went on to join Derby instead, but he later revealed he wanted to join Keane at Sunderland.

He said, per the Mirror: “I was leaving Blackburn to go and join Derby or Sunderland, the