The Irishman recently had a bust up with a fan…
Roy Keane has recently been in the news for a bust up with a fan who asked him for an autograph. The fan was sent to hospital shortly afterwards, but the Irish FA have refuted claims that it was the national team’s assistant coach who caused this.
SEE MORE
Revealed: The Weak Link At Each Premier League Top Five Club, Including Arsenal Captain & Man United Youngster
Premier League Statistical Team Of The Season So Far: Featuring Five Chelsea Players And Arsenal’s £35 Million Man
Furious Spain Captain Sergio Ramos Questions Chelsea Stars’ ‘DNA’ And If They Are Exaggerating Their Injuries
The former Manchester United skipper has had his fair share of controversies in the past, and it is no surprise that his temper has surfaced again now.
Here are eight times he’s blown his top in the past…
8) Patrick Vieira Scrap
Keane and Patrick Vieira had a history of bust ups both on and off the field. However, the most notable was in the tunnel before a match between Arsenal and United in 2005.
As Keane described it in his autobiography “The Second Half”, “As I walked to the front I heard something going on at the top of the tunnel. All I could see was a few fingers, pointing at Gary. I lost it. Five seconds earlier I’d been perfectly calm, in the zone, ready for the match. They were trying to bully him. They were a big team and, in the tunnel, they were even bigger. So I said to myself ‘Alright, let’s go.”
7) Alan Shearer punch
The Irishman accumulated the 10th red card of his career after throwing a punch at Shearer. The Newcastle United man had apparently been winding him up before the incident.
6) Carlos Queiroz and loyalty
When the Red Devils’ Portuguese assistant accused Keane of disloyalty, the renowned hard man replied, “Don’t you f****** talk to me about loyalty, Carlos. You left this club after 12 months a few years ago for the Real Madrid job. Don’t you dare question my loyalty.”
Unhappy is probably an understatement.
5) Prawn sandwich brigade
When the Irishman’s wage was blamed for a rise in the price of season tickets at Old Trafford, he retorted with, “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. I don’t think some of the people who come to Old Trafford can spell football, never mind understand it.”
This didn’t exactly endear him to some of the supporters.
4) Peter Schmeichel clash
The former midfielder revealed a fight he had with goalkeeper Schmeichel in his autobiography. “I think we were in Hong Kong. There was drink involved,’ wrote Keane. “He said: ‘I’ve had enough of you, It’s time we sorted this out.’ So I said ‘Okay’ and we had a fight. It felt like 10 minutes. There was a lot of noise – Peter’s a big lad.” Nicky Butt refereed the scrap.
3) MUTV interview
The now Aston Villa assistant’s career at United came to an abrupt end after an interview he gave to the club’s TV channel.
“Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar. The younger players have been let down by some of the more experienced players. They are just not leading. There is a shortage of characters in this team. It seems to be in this club that you have to play badly to be rewarded. Maybe that is what I should do when I come back. Play badly.”
The interview was not aired.
2) Ireland Bust Up
The former Sunderland manager walked out of Ireland’s training camp before the 2002 World Cup after an argument with manager Mick McCarthy. Keane was apparently unhappy with the state of the pitch where they were training.
The skipper let loose on the manager in a tirade Niall Quinn described as “clinical, fierce, earth-shattering to the person on the end of it.”
1) Alf-Inge Haaland injury
The most infamous moment of the Keane’s career came when he ended the career of Manchester City’s Alf-Inge Haaland.
It was reportedly retribution for when the Norwegian mocked his cruciate ligament injury in 1997.
In his first autobiography he said, “I’d waited long enough. I hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.”