Roy Keane is trying to secure free tickets to the Carabao Cup final from Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag as he admits a ‘feel good factor’ at Old Trafford following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and other players

Manchester United are officially back and even Roy Keane is trying to get his hands on free tickets to watch them.

The Red Devils booked their place in the Carabao Cup final after a 5-0 aggregate win over Nottingham Forest.

They will meet Newcastle at Wembley later this month, a repeat of the 1999 FA Cup final, in a bid to get their hands on a trophy for the first time since 2017.

Erik ten Hag can take huge credit for how he turned things around at United in a short time, bringing the feel-good factor back to Old Trafford.

Their native land has once again become a fortress, with 12 consecutive victories in all competitions.

Club legend Keane has been a vocal critic of the way things have gone in recent years, but now he is fully behind Ten Hag and what he has done.

You can tell the ex-midfielder was in good spirits as he even shared a joke with the Red Devils manager.

He told Ten Hag: “What if you have spare tickets for the final… just two free tickets I hope?”

Ten Hag replied, “Okay, I think so, Roy. No problem.”

Keane was also speaking more seriously about the club’s turnaround and admitted there was an energy around the club that hadn’t been there for a while.

He told Sky Sports: “The new manager arrived and United were at rock bottom, we’re talking in terms of recruitment. I think what was key was the five or six players who left.

“I don’t hit these players, they are experienced players. Pogba, Mata, Matic, Jesse Lingard. Guys who’ve been there and knew they were leaving. Their contracts were up.

“You really feel there is a new energy around the club. Has obviously laid some groundwork after such a bad start to the season.

That momentum, that feel-good factor, is definitely back at the club. You feel the energy levels are back.

It’s not just the players who left this summer who made the difference. Cristiano Ronaldo left in November and they haven’t looked back.

Keane added: “It helped the manager and the club. Nobody wanted it to go on for the second half of the season.

“It should have been settled this summer. Ronaldo obviously wasn’t going to sit on the bench and be happy about it.

“Ronaldo has moved on and that no longer weighs on the club. You have the other five or six players who have left, including Cavani, who were fringe players coming off the bench.

“When they came off the bench they didn’t bring much because they thought they should have started.

“When you talk about subs and fringe players, they have to come and be ready. Last year’s players who weren’t involved. You felt they were energy savers.