Roy Keane's plan to leave the UK and why he still lives in Manchester mansion

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Manchester United legend Roy Keane has a well-laid-out plan for his golden years, but his upmarket UK home may pose a problem.

Keano retired from football in 2006, and five years later, he joined Sky Sports and ITV as a pundit, where he became known for his sharp comments and brutal honesty.

For some time, Roy has hinted that he'll retire from punditry when he hits sixty and that he would like to move overseas when he does so. However, his fancy Manchester mansion may pose a problem when he finally decides to make the move.

Roy and his wife Theresa bought the 1.2-acre spot back in 2005 for a cool €3.8 million (£3.2m). After renovating it, they tried to sell it for €11.3m (£9.5m) in 2010, but to no avail.

The couple even dropped the price to €7.7m (£6.45m) between 2018 and 2019, but there were still no buyers. The difficulty in selling the house will no doubt be a hindrance to the iconic Premier League winner, who has carefully outlined his ideas once his punditry era comes to an end, as per the Manchester Evening News.

Despite the home's luxury standing, it remains to be seen if anyone will be willing to fork out for the property, as the asking price might just be too steep.

Even at its last reduced price of €7.7m (£6.45m), it was still six times pricier than the typical detached property in the area, where the average asking price for five-bed homes is around €2m (£1.7m). This means the former Celtic man could be attached to the Greater Manchester area for some time to come yet.

However, he does have grand plans should he shift the house. "I don't think I'll be doing punditry in 10 years' time," Keane said on a previous episode of the Stick to Football podcast.

"I love football but the hassle of matches, getting to games and the hassle of fans. The games are fine. Getting to the games, parking up, people shouting your name - good stuff, bad stuff - it's a nuisance. Being a pundit in 10 years, not.

"In the next couple of years, I reckon I will be moving abroad... putting it out there," Keane said. "Switzerland, maybe? Switzerland is beautiful."

Keano was back in his native Cork this week to pay a personal visit to a fan in hospital and to pop into a local bakery to wish its new owner the best of luck.

The staff at Leeside's Old Mill Confectionery had to do a quick double-take on Wednesday morning when Keano strolled off the street in Blackpool and onto their factory floor. He had called in for a quick chat with Leesider Daniel Buckley, who took over the business last summer, but he stuck around for a tour and to meet the staff helping stock pastries and sweet treats in supermarkets across Cork.

It was a very special occasion for one worker, Aida, who was celebrating her 25th year of working at the bakery on the same day. She and everyone else had a chance to grab a one-on-one pic with the Mayfield man - a rare opportunity indeed, as Roy's made it clear he's not a huge fan of selfies in the past.

Concerning the hospital visit, Roy popped in to see Pat O'Sullivan, who has long been an admirer of Keane. He followed his career from day one and considers him something of a personal hero.

Pat has been in poor health for some time and is currently a patient at the Mercy Hospital. It's been a difficult time for his family, but as they spoke with him, they noticed that one particular topic always brightened their father's mood.

His son, Rob, explained that whenever they mentioned Keano, his father's face lit up, which ultimately gave them an idea. They reached out to RedFM Breakfast with KC head producer Victoria Nichols in the hopes of getting in touch with Roy and asking him to record a personal message for their dad.

The request eventually reached Keane, who decided to go above and beyond for the O'Sullivan family, flying into Cork for a surprise visit and a chat with Pat.

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