Sky Sports put in a request which could've seen Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick interviewed by Roy Keane - just days after he took aim at Carrick's wife.

Officials at the broadcaster asked if the new man at the helm would do a pre-match interview direct with the studio before the Manchester derby. That would've created a scenario where Keane and Carrick would've interacted before the contest.

Sky would get their interview, but it was conducted by Gary Neville in the tunnel, rather than with the studio, after United officials intervened, reports the Daily Mail.

Earlier in the week, Keane branded Mrs Carrick "a big mouth" whilst speaking on the Overlap. His comments likely motivated by a social media post she made, and later deleted, after the Irishman had accused her husband of delivering a dour interview following a Champions League loss to Olympiakos in 2014.

Twelve years ago, Carrick's wife had responded to Keane's criticism of the interview and posted on social media: "Roy Keane what a **** will say anything to provoke a reaction."

• Man Utd and Tottenham's stance on Oliver Glasner as sack decision made

• Man Utd announce January transfer as club issue statement

She was quick to delete it, but Keane clearly remembered it and referenced it last week after Carrick's appointment, stating: "His wife can always come in (if Carrick doesn't do well), cause she's got a bit of a big mouth sometimes. She's probably doing the team talk."

Carrick would enjoy the perfect start to his tenure at Old Trafford, masterminding a 2-0 win over Manchester City, which could've been even more convincing. The former player has been given the role until the end of the season, but already there is talk of him getting the job permanently if he can provide them with some direction and guide them into the Champions League.

Keane has been critical of his former club turning to ex-players once again, and equally about the make-up of the coaching team. United have been down this route before, giving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the job before he was sacked after nearly three years in the role.

Jonny Evans is among those to join the coaching staff, despite his lack of experience, which struck a chord with Keane. He said: "Jonny Evans left Man United about four, five, six weeks ago right? He left in the summer as a player and they gave him a job as a loans manager. Leaves a month or two ago, had enough of that - not 10 years doing it, a few months.

"My issue with Jonny, he's got no coaching. It's not like he's worked with the academy for a few years."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.