Roy Keane Was Warned Not to Sign Player Who Became His 'Worst Ever Signing'

Roy Keane was handed a stern warning before making one of his worst signings as a manager.

Keane, 54, enjoyed a stellar career, having played for the likes of Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Celtic.

The Irishman lifted seven Premier League titles and one Champions League among other trophies.

After ending his playing career with Celtic in 2006, Keane had spells managing Sunderland and Ipswich Town.

The ex-midfielder was in charge of Sunderland from 2006 to 2008 before leading Ipswich from 2009 to 2011.

Speaking recently on Stick to Football podcast by SkyBet, Keane admitted that he was warned about signing Pascal Chimbonda when he was the manager of Sunderland.

However, the former United captain ignored the advice and went ahead with the transfer.

He said: "I brought Pascal Chimbonda in when people said to not touch him. But I didn’t listen to them because I thought we needed him, and he had Premier League quality and experience.

"He came in and was hard work, and I’m being really polite."

Pascal Chimbonda in action for Sunderland. Image: Getty

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Keane added: "I didn’t listen to people, I thought we needed him. I remember, I left Sunderland and got a phone call from someone on the coaching staff at Spurs, they were thinking of bringing in Chimbonda and he’d already been at Spurs.

"I said, ‘I wouldn’t be sure.’ Next day, they bought him. Why ring people and get feedback, sometimes you have to take a gamble, and pressure can make bad decisions."

During his one-season stint with the Black Cats, Chimbonda made 16 appearances across all competitions.

The full-back returned to Tottenham Hotspur before playing for the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers, Doncaster and Carlisle.

In 2024, Chimbonda signed for Skelmersdale United Football Club, a member of the Liverpool County Premier League.