Sunderland in talks with Roy Keane after sacking Lee Johnson

The League One team is keen on Keane rejoining the club after dismissing Lee Johnson last Saturday following a 6-0 humiliation at Bolton, although the 50-year-old has yet to be offered the post, contrary to rumors. 

From 2006 until 2008, Keane was the coach of Sunderland, the ex-Manchester United, and the Republic of Ireland playmaker's first management job. 

Before retiring in December 2008, he led the team to promotion as Championship champs in his first season in charge, and then to a 15th-place

finish the following season.

Keane has been without a managing job since being fired by Ipswich Town in 2011, however, he has operated as a television pundit and on the coaching staffs of the Republic of Ireland, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest. 

Reports suggest, after a decade of being away from the dugout, Keane is pondering a return to coaching. 

Sunderland has also shortlisted former Celtic manager

Neil Lennon

, former Middlesbrough manager

Neil Warnock

, and recently terminated Hull City manager

Grant McCann

. 

In a 2014 interview, Keane talked warmly of his time as Sunderland manager and hinted at his desire to return to management in the future.

"I've got good memories from Sunderland, a really good club," Keane told 

Sky Sports

. "It's a pity that ended the way it did in terms of me having a big disagreement with the owner, but I had good days at Sunderland, a really good club.

Keane added:

"I will be [a manager again], I will go back into management, definitely

."

Sunderland are presently third in

for the fourth consecutive season. 

They are two points below runner-ups Wigan Athletic with three more games played, and five points behind toppers Rotherham Athletic, who have one game in hand. 

After Johnson's sacking, Mike Dodds has been in charge of the team's training for the next game, a home fixture against Doncaster on Saturday.

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