I signed Jonny Evans on loan from Man Utd… he demanded DOUBLE normal wages after reading my book, says Roy Keane

ROY KEANE has revealed Jonny Evans negotiated DOUBLING his wages when moving to Sunderland on loan… after reading the Manchester United legend’s BOOK.

Keane, 52, brought Evans in twice during his two years in charge of the North East club.

Roy Keane claims Jonny Evans asked for his wages to be doubled when negotiating a move to Sunderland2008 Getty Images

Keane admitted Evans was worth the money they spent on his wagesPA

During his first stint in 2007, the defender helped Sunderland win the Championship and secure promotion to the Premier League.

He then returned 12 months later and ensured the Black Cats avoided relegation by three points.

But Keane has now opened up about the tough discussions that took place when he was luring Evans back for his second spell at the Stadium of Light.

Speaking on Stick to Football, he said: “Jonny Evans was a huge signing for me in the January transfer window at Sunderland. Sir Alex Ferguson did me a bit of a favour with the signing as well.

“Jonny had come to Sunderland the previous year in the 2006/07 season when we were in the Championship, and he had done well so we got him back in the following season in January and we had to give him a £1m loan fee for the second part of the season.

“Jonny was on £10,000 a week, but the chairman came to me and said Jonny want £20,000 a week, so I rang him up and asked him why he wanted £20,000 and he said that he had read my book. And I was like ‘You read my book?’

“He told me he had and that in the book it said that you’ve got to negotiate hard to get as much money as you can, so we gave him £20,000 a week and he was a brilliant signing for us.”

Evans made 35 appearances for Sunderland under Keane before he returned to Man Utd in the summer of 2008.

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Keane stood down as manager six months later with his side in the Premier League relegation zone.

He went on to manage Ipswich from 2009 to 2011, but has not taken another role as a head coach since then.

He was linked with a return to Sunderland in 2022 but ultimately turned the job down due to the length of the contract offered.

The former midfielder recently claimed he would be interested in the vacant Republic of Ireland role if the FAI approached him.

Meanwhile, Evans enjoyed spells at West Brom and Leicester following his departure from Man Utd in 2015.

He then returned to Old Trafford in July last year and has made 15 appearances under Erik ten Hag this season.

His contract expires at the end of the campaign.

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