FORMER Ipswich boss Roy Keane has admitted that the manner of his Ipswich Town exit means he will never pay to watch a match at Portman Road.

The ex-Blues boss said he would only come back as an opposing manager – stressing his desire to return to the dugout during an interview with a national newspaper.

Keane said: “I wouldn’t feel comfortable going back to Sunderland, nor would I be comfortable going back to Ipswich. (Nottingham) Forest, I’ve not felt too bad about. I left Forest and the ending was OK and I think that’s the difference.”

Meanwhile Keane has defended his right to criticise Manchester United following their Champions League exit earlier this month. Keane, working as a pundit for ITV, felt United had “got what they deserved” when they were knocked out by Basle.

Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson responded by commenting on criticism of the club coming “even from people we thought were perhaps on our side”.

Keane said: “You could question every pundit’s managerial skill in relation to (Ferguson’s) and we’re all going to come up short. But I would also say that without players like myself, maybe he wouldn’t have such a good managerial record.”