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Michael Carrick forces Roy Keane into 11-word U-turn as Man Utd continue to soar
Mar 15 2026 18:12 · By Isaac Seelochan/Senior Sports Journalist · 31 Reads
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Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane believes his old side are "certs" to qualify for the Champions League . The Sky Sports pundit's comments came in an 11-word U-turn on his previous assertion that United were not ready to qualify for Europe's elite competition.
The Red Devils beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Sunday afternoon to strengthen their grip on third in the Premier League . Goals from Casemiro, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, either side of a Ross Barkley equaliser, see United go three points clear of third-placed Villa before Liverpool's clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Michael Carrick's side are also six points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea , with fifth likely to be enough to qualify for the Champions League based on the overall results of English teams in Europe this season.
And Keane is now confident his former club will be back in Europe's elite competition for the first time since 2023. The 54-year-old believes United are certain to qualify.
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He said: "Yeah I think certs for it. No distractions, just focus on the games, get some recovery.
"Villa looked a bit flat today [after playing in Europa League on Thursday], United in the second half were pretty comfortable.
"If you give players like Bruno time and space, you're going to be punished. I think United are absolute certs for that Champions League spot."
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Keane's view represents a change from when Ruben Amorim was in charge. United were unconvincing under the former Sporting boss, who was sacked in January when the Red Devils were sixth in the top-flight table.
United's struggles under Amorim left Keane asserting in December last year that his old club would not be good enough to qualify for the Champions League.
He said: "I'm not convinced. He [Ruben Amorim] got a pre-season and signings, they have no Europe but they are still not showing it.
"We are still waiting. The question marks are still there for me, we talk about top four but they are not ready for that."
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.