The First 11...Roy Keane Moments

For Jack, The 11 defining moments of Roy Keane's playing career.

Roy Keane has re-emerged into the footballing world recently as the new manager of Ipswich Town after his acrimonious departure from Sunderland last December. For all his media exposure however, Roy Keane, the manager, is still somewhat of an unknown quantity but Roy Keane, the player, was one of the most storied, recognised and notorious individuals in recent memory.

For many footballers, their highs and lows all take place on the field but it would be a prohibitive task to reduce his career to just a series of matches. Really, to abbreviate the man’s achievements (and failings) to a series of bullet points doesn’t quite do justice to a man who has had more said and written about him, plenty by himself, than just about anybody, but here goes:

11. Trial at Nottingham Forest 1990

Where it all began. Keane was playing semi-professional football for Cobh Ramblers in Ireland when he was offered a trial for Nottingham Forest in 1990. Brian Clough, then the manager of Forest, liked what he saw and parted £47,000 for the then 18 year old Keane. He became a regular in the side by the start of his second season and learnt under one of the finest managers in the game before he ever joined Manchester United.

10. Keane signs for United 1993

It seemed that Roy was set to join Blackburn Rovers after Forest were relegated following the 1992/3 campaign but, at the last minute, Alex Ferguson swooped in to steal Keane away from an irate Kenny Dalglish. Blackburn were a team on the rise - backed by the funds of Jack Walker they had finished 4th that season and had already broken the English transfer record for a young Alan Shearer, but Keane chose United and signed for £3.75 million that summer and helped develop a dynasty.

9. Manchester United 2 - 2 Crystal Palace 1995

The first of Keane’s 11 red cards. Keane collected them almost as readily as he did silverware during his 12 years with the Red Devils but, for all his combative tendencies, Keane had not shown the kind of malice that was seen in the FA cup semi final at Villa Park that day; (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkqx8hL4MrA) Keane’s original challenge was poor but the stamp that would follow was the first of many actions that would bring his name into disrepute. United would win the replay only to lose to Everton in the final while Keane was fined £5,000 and suspended for three games.

8. Keane wins PFA and FWA Player of the Year 2000

Keane won the Player’s Player of the Year (by the largest margin ever) and Football Writer’s Association Player of the Year awards in 2000 after driving Manchester United to their 6th title in eight seasons and scoring six goals in twelve European games (he was arguably the best player in the Champions League that year until their second leg defeat to Real Madrid). Keane was the heartbeat of the United machine for many years, worked tirelessly for the cause, was as team orientated as they come and managed to get the best from his team mates but should not be considered anything but one of the best individual talents to grace the Premiership. He deservedly won individual honours for his efforts and was later described by Sir Alex Ferguson as ‘the best midfield player in the world of his generation.’

7. Leeds United 1 - 0 Manchester United 1997

Keane would later describe the injury caused by a reckless lunge on Alf-Inge Haaland in this game as ‘a good thing,’ suggesting that it was a turning point in his career and allowed him to see ‘the bigger picture.’ It may be better know as the first instalment of one of the most infamous and personal feuds in English football history. Keane would snap the cruciate ligament in his knee and fell to the floor in agony while Haaland, thinking that Keane was feigning injury to avoid a caution, would lean over him and voice his disdain. Such an accusation would live with Keane for the nine months that it took to heal and almost four years until he would face Haaland again. Yet, perhaps Keane was right. He would return the following season and lead United to the treble and his form over the next three years would see him peak as a player.

6. Keane blasts Rio on MUTV 2005
Roy Keane’s United career may have been edging to its conclusion anyway; he had intimated that he would leave the club at the end of the 2005/6 season when his contract expired and had rowed with Ferguson regarding the team’s pre-season arrangements. But one incident really got the ball rolling on his November 18th exit, his infamous rant on MUTV. Man Utd had been beaten 4-1 by Middlesbrough in the league, dropping to 7th place in the league, and Keane was not about to go easy on his team mates. Keane himself was sidelined by a foot injury sustained against Liverpool six weeks previously but with United stuttering, he unleashed a scathing attack on several players who appeared against Boro. The interview was so abrasive and damning that it was pulled by Reds’ hierarchy and the exact transcript is unknown but the suggestion was that Keane criticised Darren Fletcher, John O’Shea and Kieron Richardson among others. His strongest attack though was reserved for Rio Ferdinand, who had been substituted three minutes from time so that other players ‘did not have to cover his position’ (the words of assistant manager Carlos Quieroz). Keane was quoted as saying ‘Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar’ in reference to Ferdinand and this appeared to be the final straw in his disrespectful war of words with other members of the team and management and would ultimately lead to the divorce from the team he represented for 12 years.

5. Arsenal 2 - 4 Manchester United 2005

Keane played in many big games and has an extensive list of match-winning performances (he was superb when Ireland beat Holland 1-0 at home in WC 2002 qualifying, scored both when United beat early in the 1999/00 season and immense as they beat Juventus in Turin in both 1999 and 2003) but few games gained the exposure that this match in February 2005 received. Chelsea would go on to win the league and Arsenal would take second but this match held more implications than league points. Patrick Viera and Roy Keane were the two best central midfielders in the country between 1999 and 2003 and while both were slightly waning from their exalted standard when they met towards the end of the 2004/5 season, they were still bitter rivals. They were the captains and ultimate representatives of two teams that had fought for the title for the best part of ten years and the antagonism between the sides was at its height in this game at Highbury.

The charged pre-match atmosphere almost boiled over before the teams came out of the tunnel as Patrick Viera confronted Gary Neville for a foul he had committed on Jose Antonio Reyes in their previous encounter. Roy Keane decided to step in and launched a verbal attack on Viera (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFkYRXlwQxA) that threatened to force Graham Poll to send both players off before the kick off. In a game that was marred by some fairly appalling challenges, it was miraculous that there was only a single dismissal and that both Viera and Keane would see out the 90 minutes. Arsenal lead 2-1 after goals from Viera and Bergkamp but United would go on to win the game thanks to goals from Giggs, Ronaldo (2) and O’Shea. The match was testament to the leadership, aggression and determination of Keane and the controversy that surrounds him.

4. Eric Cantona retires 1997

Cantona, one of the clubs great icons, would unexpectedly retire at the end of the 1997 season and Roy Keane became his successor going into the 1997/8 season. Unfortunately for Keane, he would make just 9 league starts in the campaign as he would suffer a cruciate ligament injury against Leeds United but would become the most successful captain in the history of the club. With him at the helm, United would win 4 league titles, 2 FA cups and the Champions league and he embedded himself as the heart and soul of United for the some of the club’s finest years.

3. Walking out on Ireland 2002

Keane was captain of his country and veteran of 58 caps when Ireland headed for their World Cup training camp in Saipan, ahead of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Not shy of an opinion, Keane had voiced his displeasure about the lack of professionalism in the Irish set up ever since he debuted for his country in an under-21 fixture in 1991. He had disliked former manager Jack Charlton and was no more favourable to Mick McCarthy, the man who had lead them to the World Cup (in a very tough group also featuring Portugal and Holland). Keane was enraged by the inadequacies of their training facilities and the late arrival of the team’s training equipment after being reassured by McCarthy that the days of amateurish practice sessions were a thing of the past. He rowed with several coaches before requesting to return to Manchester but was convinced to return, however he detailed his concerns in an interview with the Irish Times.

The report that followed instigated a confrontation between manager and player as McCarthy, in front of the entire squad, questioned Keane only for Keane to launch an astonishing tirade, highlighted by the memorable quote ‘Mick, you're a liar … you're a f***ing wanker. I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a f***ing wanker and you can stick your World Cup up your arse. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your bollocks’
Keane left the training camp and, despite the best efforts of the Irish head of government, the FAI and the media, Keane refused to apologise and missed the World Cup that he had been so instrumental in qualifying for. Ireland, without their star and captain, would reach the second round before losing to Spain on penalties. Keane would return under the next manager, Brian Kerr, but Ireland’s failure to beat Switzerland in their final game meant that they missed the 2006 World Cup finals and Keane retired from international football.

2. Manchester United 1 - 1 Manchester City 2001

With the title essentially won, United would face their cross-town rivals on April 21st with only one thing on the mind of their captain. Five minutes from full time, Keane would plant his right foot into the knee of Haaland, the man who had goaded him almost four years previous, and received a straight red card from David Ellery. The ‘tackle’ did not, as some have contended, end the Norweigan’s career (he played for Norway only days later) but the foul was as blatant and malevolent as you will ever see.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRF2Zjyl29g&feature=related)

His autobiography commented on the incident: ‘I f**king hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c*nt. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.’ Keane was originally fined £5,000 and banned for three matches, however the remarks made in his autobiography increased his fine by £150,000 and his ban by five games.

1. Juventus 2 - 3 Manchester United 1999

One of the crowning glory’s of Keane’s career in one of the great games in European history. United met Juventus in the Stadio delle Alpi after drawing 1-1 at home in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash but fell two goals behind within 11 minutes and were seemingly beaten. Juventus were a European powerhouse and had qualified for three consecutive Champions League finals but their air of invincibility was destroyed by United. The epic comeback, a month before they would repeat the trick in Barcelona, was lead by Keane; he scored United’s first after 24 minutes but was then shown a yellow card for a foul on Zidane, ruling him out of the final should the Reds win the tie. Many a player would have been dispirited but not Keane. Ferguson stated that ‘Roy seemed to redouble his efforts. It was the most emphatic display of selflessness I've seen on a football field, inspiring all around him.’

Keane delivered a virtuoso performance and goals from Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, seven minutes from time, sent United through to their first Champions League final in 31 years. At every opportunity, Roy pushed United forward and seemed to will his team over the finish line. In typical fashion, his finest hour was marred by the booking that kept him out of the final and, despite United beating Bayern Munich to secure European football’s biggest prize, Keane viewed the game as one of the ‘worst experiences’ he had endured in football. Some say he has never even looked at his winner’s medal.

The standards set by that United team may have negatively effected Keane throughout the remainder of his playing career; unable to return to that level of success with United, he found regular opportunity to criticise the complacency he perceived in others. The frustrations he felt appeared to manifest itself in his ill discipline both on and off the field - red cards and outbursts, but it was his relentless drive for victory (that personified United at their best) that defined him most as a player and never was it more evident than that night in Turin.