Sam Allardyce hits back at Roy Keane after Leeds 'ego' claim

Sam Allardyce has hit back at Roy Keane after the pundit gave his view on the manager's spell in charge of Leeds United.

Allardyce made a surprise return to management last month when he took charge of Leeds on an interim basis, although his four-game stint ended in disappointment.

Leeds brought in the 68-year-old in a last-ditch attempt to fight off relegation, but with the Yorkshire club already staring down the barrel, he couldn't save them.

Under Allardyce Leeds took just one point from their final four games, and relegation to the Championship was confirmed with a 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham on the final day of the season.

Although Big Sam was only hired until the end of the campaign, it's not clear whether or not he will return to the Elland Road dugout next season.

In the opinion of Roy Keane, he won't.

The former Manchester United midfielder turned pundit recently said he couldn't imagine Allardyce managing in the Championship because his ego wouldn't allow it.

It's fair to say Sam didn't take too kindly to that dig.

"Nobody has got a bigger ego than Roy," Allardyce hit back during an appearance on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.

"He mistakes ego for experience and confidence, and the ability to do the job. In all fairness which was much better than Roy did wasn't it?"

🥊 BIG SAM vs. ROY KEANE 🥊

"Nobody has got a bigger ego than Roy. He mistakes ego for experience and confidence, and the ability to do the job. In all fairness which was much better than Roy did wasn't it?"

🤐🤐🤐#NoTippyTappyFootball w/@WilliamHill #Ad pic.twitter.com/bDNNmhr3ze

— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) June 1, 2023

To be fair to Allardyce, he might have a point.

Firstly, he has managed in the Championship before, as recently as 2012 when he led West Ham to promotion to the Premier League.

Secondly, Keane is hardly one to talk when it comes to management.

The Irishman tried his hand at management with Sunderland and Ipswich between 2006 and 2011, but neither partnership ended well.

Regardless of what Keane thinks, Allardyce has left open the possibility of him returning to management, even if not at Leeds.

"I have to just think about that decision,” he said.

"It’s not a decision the club can make or I can make until we meet [with the Leeds board].

"The decisions need to be quite quick but the decisions they make now are imperative to the success of the club. They have to be carefully planned out and thought out and see what happens."