"Would be great for him to play a role" - Ex-Manchester United star wants Roy Keane to be given role at the club

Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has called for ex-Irish midfielder and club icon Roy Keane to be given a role at Old Trafford. The Frenchman claimed that the current generation of United players is significantly weaker than the group that played under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Keane, who played 479 games for United (51 goals, 41 assists) between 1993 and 2006, is known to deliver straight-forward and harsh analysis as a pundit. As a player, he was involved in multiple spats and controversies due to his passionate and aggressive nature, receiving an English record of 13 red cards in his career.

Speaking to Yay Sweepstakes, Silvestre urged Manchester United to bring Keane back to the club in any capacity. He said (via GOAL):

"I think it would be great for Roy Keane to play a role at Manchester United. Because the thing is with Roy, he always treated everybody exactly the same way. It didn’t matter if you were a new signing, an old guy, the manager, everybody. That's how he got respect... Now, it's true you have players, and as soon as you say something to them, they don't collapse but it affects them much more. We used to have thicker skin."

"If Roy Keane was involved at Manchester United, if he was on the inside with the group, he would have to protect and work for the group, you wouldn’t see him criticizing players in public, so there wouldn't be any issue," Silvestre added.

With 33 points in 27 games (nine wins, six draws, 12 losses), Manchester United currently sits in 14th place on the Premier League table.

When Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim disagreed with Roy Keane's opinion on star midfielder

Last week, Manchester United icon Roy Keane launched a scathing attack at current club captain Bruno Fernandes. Following the rant, manager Ruben Amorim jumped to the defense of his captain, asserting that the Portuguese playmaker is 'really important' for the team.

Fernandes has racked up 11 goals and 13 assists in 40 appearances this season, making it the fifth time he has hit double figures in both categories in a campaign. However, the contributions seemingly aren't enough to impress Keane, who lambasted the attacking midfielder in a fiery rant.

Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Arsenal icon Ian Wright was defending Fernandes, claiming that he is the lone shining light 'saving' United's torrid season. Keane interjected the Englishman, saying:

"I've had enough of that rubbish, man. You watch Arsenal every week and we focus more on United. We watched him at Leicester and the FA Cup a few weeks ago. I watched him at Everton on Saturday (February 22). People pretend to be closing people down. We're 15th in the league and he’s saving them. Praise the Lord."

At a press conference last Friday (February 28), Amorim defended the 30-year-old, saying (via United in Focus):

"Bruno is really important for us. He is playing well in a different context. I know, as a captain, he can do things with his arms. He has had a lot of frustration for this year and the last years. He wants to win and it is hard to deal with that situation. Roy Keane has big standards from his time. I have an opposite opinion as I am the coach."

Up next, Manchester United will be in action against Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 clash on March 6.