Keane's views were attributed to comments reported in the media, in which the former United captain identified the Newcastle United manager as the ideal long-term appointment at Old Trafford.

Howe, who is currently in charge at St James' Park, has been singled out by Keane as possessing the authority and stature required to steady the club after another turbulent period.

Amorim was dismissed after a 14-month reign that failed to meet expectations. His tenure produced the poorest points-per-game average of any Manchester United manager in the Premier League era, despite attempts to impose a clear tactical identity. The Portuguese coach regularly deployed a 3-4-3 system, but performances and results remained inconsistent.

In the immediate aftermath of Amorim's departure, Darren Fletcher temporarily led the team for Wednesday's match against Burnley. Behind the scenes, planning for an interim solution has also been under way.

Former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and ex-captain Michael Carrick have both held talks regarding a short-term role, according to reports from ESPN.

However, Keane has stressed that the next permanent appointment should be judged less on tactical systems and more on presence and authority.

"I'd go with Eddie Howe. I like him, I like what he's done. He has managed a lot of games," Keane told Sky Sports.

"His teams play good football. I know it's not for everyone, he has critics, but I like what he's done at Newcastle and Bournemouth.

"He has managed 700 or 800 games, he's still a young man. I like his calmness. Man United need a bit of that.

"I like people with emotion, I am an emotional person, but I like his calmness.

"He's been in the Champions League a couple of times, won the cup. I'd like to see him go in there.

"You want someone to walk into a dressing room and, as soon as he gets there, the players say 'here we go, we are going places.

"Personality. You can talk about systems and tactics but you want somebody to go into that dressing room and get a grip of the players. I don't mean in an aggressive way. But get the belief into the players - 'this is the way we are going, we will run hard, be attacking, be hard to beat, we will do the hard yards.'

"Teams like Arsenal and Manchester City, the reason they have been successful is because of what they do out of possession.

"The standard of the game, United vs. Burnley was an absolute joke."

Kermit Erasmus: A key player as Orlando Pirates eye Nedbank Cup glory