Alex Ferguson thought Roy Keane would fare well as a manager when he played under him at Manchester United.
Keane was one of Ferguson's key players as he, and the rest of the United side, created a monopoly over the Premier League, reports The Daily Star.
And all this success appeared as the Scot appeared to predict a bright future in management for the Cork native.
In their 12 years together, seven of which Keane spent as captain, United claimed seven Premier League triumphs.
Ferguson has confirmed just as much, and according to The Athletic, he believed Keane would be a perfect gaffer.
“Yeah. He’s got the brains, the intelligence, he’s got the drive," the Scotsman revealed when speaking about Keane's future in management.
"He understands the game well. Whether he’d want that is another matter.
"It’s a very confusing subject actually… big Viv Anderson used to say to me: ‘You’re off your f***** head being a manager. There’s no way I’d ever manage'.
"He was adamant, 100 per cent adamant: 'No way in a million years would I want to be a manager'. He became a manager."
After hanging up his boots in 2006, Keane moved into management at Sunderland, getting them promoted to the Premier League before stepping down in late 2008 after a poor run of results.
A similarly uninspiring spell at Ipswich Town, which culminated with his sacking in 2011, was Keane's last try at a top job.
He has had further roles in management since then, including a lengthy spell as an assistant in the Ireland set-up.
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