Keane the Premiership's midfield king
Roy Keane’s decision to retire from football brings to an end the career of the most influential and controversial midfielder of the Premiership.
Manchester United were driven to seven league titles and four FA Cups when Keane was at Old Trafford, with the Corkman at the heart of their slick attacking under Alex Ferguson.
From his central-midfield berth, Keane set the tone and tempo for United, effectively becoming an extra defender while also surging forward in support when his side had the ball.
Perhaps only Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira – and latterly Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard – have come close to matching this level of performance, but Keane stood apart as the Premiership’s finest midfielder when he was at his peak.
Although he led United to huge success after he joined them in 1993, Keane will also be remembered in more negative terms – tantrums, walk-outs and terrible tackles.
“At home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don’t realise what’s going on out on the pitch,” was Keane’s thoughts on the Old Trafford crowd, and the legacy of his comments still live on.
He missed out on the 1999 Champions League final triumph due to suspension, although United would not have been there had he not put in one of his finest performances in the semi-final against Juventus.
Keane also stormed out of the World Cup in 2002 after row with boss Mick McCarthy, while his comments on United’s in-house MUTV station led to him leaving the club by mutual consent.
The ugliest episode of his career was an horrific pre-meditated lunge at Alf Inge Haaland in United's derby encounter with Manchester City. Haaland, while at Leeds, had stood over Keane after the midfielder had been badly injured attempting to foul Haaland.
“Even in the dressing room afterwards I had no remorse. My attitude was: ’What goes around comes around’. He got his just rewards. My attitude is an eye for an eye,” said Keane when recalling the incident in his autobiography.
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