Paul Ince has revealed that former United team-mate Roy Keane was in regular contact during the pair's maiden season in management.

While Keane was transforming Sunderland from Championship strugglers to Premiership new-boys, Ince was guiding Macclesfield Town to safety in League Two.

And, having been unveiled as the new boss at MK Dons, Ince revealed that the two United old boys had been egging each other on throughout last season.

"We were struggling at Macclesfield, and so were Sunderland when Roy first went there," said Ince, who spent two seasons alongside Keane in the United engine room. "I was coming up from the bottom, so was Roy and we were encouraging each other.

"Although it was Macclesfield, and not many people gave a monkey's, Keaney was the only one really as a manager who was texting me and ringing me and kept saying: 'Keep going, well done'."

With both ex-Reds making strong starts to their managerial careers, Ince can envisage trading tactical wits with his old cohort in the not-too-distant future.

"As for me and Roy, we played together for four years in midfield at United and played the same, moaned the same, only Roy got booked more than me," he said.

"I'm sure we'll lock horns in the Premiership and be battling it out against each other one day."