Roy Keane has given his thoughts on Michael Carrick’s Manchester United after Sunday’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa strengthened their position in third place in the Premier League.
Roy Keane backs Man United as they aim to return to the Champions League (Image: Sky Sports)
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane believes his former club are ‘deserving’ of Champions League qualification. The Sky Sports pundit’s comments were an 11-word reversal of previous claims that United were not ready to qualify for Europe’s elite competition.
The Red Devils strengthened their position in third place in the Premier League by defeating Aston Villa 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. Ross Barkley’s equaliser, with goals from Casemiro, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesco, meant United moved three points clear of third-placed Villa ahead of games against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Michael Carrick’s side are six points behind sixth-placed Chelsea, and judging from England’s overall performance in Europe this season, fifth place is likely enough to qualify for the Champions League.
read more: Manchester United’s Gary Neville witnesses decisive moment and receives immediate explanation of Aston Villa goalread more: Max Dauman had to abide by Premier League rules at Arsenal even after historic goal
And Keane is now confident his former club will return to Europe’s elite competition for the first time since 2023. Keane, 54, believes United are certain to qualify.
Follow Man United’s FB page! Keep up with the latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
He said: ‘Yeah, I think that’s for sure. Let’s not let anything distract us, just focus on the game and recover.
“Villa looked a bit calm today (after playing in the Europa League on Thursday), but United were quite comfortable in the second half.
“If you give a player like Bruno time and space, you will be punished. I think United are absolutely guaranteed to qualify for the Champions League.”
Michael Carrick impresses at Manchester United (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
Keene’s views represent a change from when Ruben Amorim was in charge. United were unconvinced under the former Sporting manager, who was sacked in January when the Red Devils were sixth in the table.
With United struggling under Amorim, Keane declared in December that his former club were not good enough to qualify for the Champions League.
He said: “I’m not convinced. He (Ruben Amorim) has a contract for pre-season, but they don’t have Europe, but he hasn’t shown it yet.”
“We are still waiting. There are still question marks. We are talking about the top four, but they are not ready for that.”
United return to action on Friday night (8pm GMT) against Bournemouth. He will not play again until the end of the international break, when he returns home to Leeds on April 13.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
