Roy Keane

Updated: 14th May 2017

Overview

Roy Keane is one of the greatest and most successful Irish soccer players of all time, as well as being one of the most controversial. He is currently the assistant manager of Ireland’s national team.

Keane started his career with League of Ireland team Cobh Ramblers, before moving to Nottingham Forest in 1990, aged 18. He established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and secured a move to Manchester United in 1993 for a British record transfer fee.

He spent over 12 years at Manchester United, most of them as captain and inspirational leader of the team. During his time at the club, he won the Premier League title seven times, the FA Cup four times and the UEFA Champions League once.

After falling out with Alex Ferguson, Keane left Manchester United in 2005. He joined Celtic, but his time at the club was hampered by injuries. He retired from soccer at the end of the 2005-06 season.

Roy Keane played 67 times for Ireland, including all four games at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Through a series of magnificent performances, Keane was the driving force behind Ireland’s qualification for the 2002 World Cup.

In one of the most dramatic incidents in the history of Irish sport, Keane had a massive disagreement with the Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, at a training camp in Saipan before the World Cup. Keane walked out of the camp and did not return, missing out on the tournament.

Since finishing his playing career, Keane has managed Sunderland and Ipswich Town. In November 2013, he was appointed as Ireland’s assistant manager, working under Martin O’Neill.

Personal Information

Full Name:	Roy Maurice Keane
Date of Birth:	10th August 1971
Age:
Place of Birth:	Cork
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Childhood

Roy Keane was born and raised in Mayfield, a working-class suburb in the north-side of Cork.

At the age of eight, he joined a local soccer club, Rockmount AFC. At the end of his first season at the club, he was named Player of the Year for the under-11 team, even though he was only nine.

Being small for his age, he also took up boxing so that he would be better able to defend himself.

His dream as a child was to play for a top English club. He suffered a major disappointment, however, when he failed to make the final trial for the Republic of Ireland under-15 team. He was desperate to make this team, as he saw it as a shop window for English club scouts.

Keane wrote to numerous English clubs for a trial, but was turned down by each of them.

Club Career

Cobh Ramblers

In 1989, Roy Keane came close to joining Cork City, but instead signed for the League of Ireland First Division team, Cobh Ramblers.

He participated in a scheme for young players, that was run jointly between the FAI and FAS (Irish National Training and Employment Authority). This involved attending full-time training in Dublin during the week, after which players on the scheme turned out for their clubs at the weekend.

Keane’s talent and determination made him stand out, and he was given his First Division debut on 5th November 1989, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 victory over Bray Wanderers.

At at FAI Youth Cup match away to Belvedere in February 1990, he was spotted by the Nottingham Forest scout, Noel McCabe, who invited him to the club for a trial.

In Keane’s book, The Second Half (2014), he wrote of the trial:

I knew I wouldn’t be going back to Cork. There was nothing there, and no prospects. In my first week at Forest they put me with the kids; no one saw me. I was eighteen or nineteen. They apologised and asked me to come back; they’d organise a game. I said, ‘Just give me the game.’ I wasn’t one for going around cones – ‘Give me a game.’ They told me there’d be a game at the City Ground, and Brian Clough was going to be there, and I thought, ‘Brilliant.’ I didn’t go, ‘Is he? Oh, fuck’ When it was over and they told me they wanted to sign me, I wasn’t cocky enough to say, ‘I knew you would.’ But I thought it. It was what I’d been waiting for since I was a kid, since I was eight years of age, at Rockmount.

Nottingham Forest

On 12th June 1990, Nottingham Forest completed the signing of Roy Keane from Cobh Ramblers for a fee of £47,000.

Keane made his first team debut away to the league champions Liverpool on 28th August 1990. On the morning of the game, he was told he would be travelling with the squad, but assumed he was only being taken for the experience. It was only in the dressing room that Clough told him he would be starting.

Keane initially found the move to Nottingham difficult and frequently asked for time off to visit his family in Cork.

Nevertheless, he quickly established himself in the first team and finished the 1990-91 season having played 35 of Forest’s 38 league games, scoring eight goals.

Keane scored his first league goal in a 3-2 defeat away to Sheffield United on 22nd December 1990.

His first season in England wasn’t without its difficulties though. After an underhit back-pass led to a goal for Crystal Palace in an FA Cup 3rd Round tie, Keane returned to the dressing room to incur the severe wrath of his manager.

Keane: The Autobiography (2002) recounts what happened next:

When I walked into the dressing room after the game, Clough punched me straight in the face. ‘Don’t pass the ball back to the goalkeeper,’ he screamed as I lay on the floor, him standing over me. I was hurt and shocked, too shocked to do anything but nod my head in agreement. My honeymoon with Clough and professional football was over.

Roy Keane ended a memorable debut season by playing in the FA Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur, but lost the match 2-1 in extra time.

Over the next two seasons, Keane became one of the most sought after players in the Premier League.

He had negotiated a new contract with Nottingham Forest that included a relegation escape clause. This was activated when the club were relegated at the end of the 1992-93 season.

Joining Manchester United

Roy Keane initially met with Blackburn Rovers, agreed to join them and shook hands on a deal. This was on a Friday evening and Keane agreed he would return to Blackburn on the Monday, when the club offices would be open again, to complete the paperwork.

He returned to Cork for the weekend and received a phone call from the Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson on the Sunday, asking to meet him for talks.

Keane met with Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd over a game a snooker. He decided to renege on his agreement with Blackburn and join Manchester United instead.

When the Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish found out, he was furious. Keane later recounted a telephone conversation he had with a very angry Dalglish:

“He was effing and blinding, saying ‘you’re a f**king disgrace.”

“I said, ‘listen, I’m going on me holidays next week’, which I was, I was going to Cyprus with a few lads… just to do some sight seeing.

“‘I’m going to Cyprus with me mates, and when I come back I’m going to sign for Man United’.

“He said: ‘I’m going to find you. I’m going to come to Ayia Napa and find you. So, every bar in Ayia Napa, I was looking over my shoulder waiting for Kenny Dalglish to walk in.”

The video below shows Roy Keane telling the story of his move to Manchester United:

On 19th July 1993, Keane signed for Manchester United for a British record transfer fee of £3.75 million.

Manchester United: 1993-94

Even though Manchester United were the reigning Premier League champions, Roy Keane went straight into the team for the first league game of the 1993-94 season. He started in midfield alongside Paul Ince and Bryan Robson in a comfortable 2-0 win away to Norwich City.

Keane made his home league debut in the next game, scoring twice in a 3-0 win against Sheffield United.

Through his performances, Keane quickly established himself as a favourite with the fans and as a first-choice selection, a status he would hold for the next 12 years.

Manchester United won the 1993-94 Premier League, their second championship in successive seasons, and Keane’s first major honour.

Roy Keane went on to help Manchester United win the 1994 FA Cup Final, beating Chelsea 4-0. This was the first time in the club’s history they had won the league and FA Cup in the same season.

Manchester United: 1994-95

The following season was less successful and was dominated by Eric Cantona’s eight-month ban for attacking a Crystal Palace fan after being sent off at Selhurst Park on 25th January 1995.

Roy Keane was sent off for the first time in his Manchester United career for stamping on Gareth Southgate during the FA Cup semi-final replay against Crystal Palace.

Manchester United lost the Premier League title to Blackburn Rovers on the last day of the season, after they could only manage a 1-1 draw away to West Ham United.

They also lost 1-0 to Everton in the 1995 FA Cup Final.

Manchester United: 1995-96

The summer of 1995 saw Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis all leave Manchester United, with no major signings being brought in to replace them.

Instead, Alex Ferguson brought several young players into the first team, including David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Gary Neville and Phil Neville.

Despite only being 24 years old, Roy Keane was now the most experienced player in the Manchester United midfield.

Their season started with a 3-1 defeat away to Aston Villa. Even after only one game, the TV pundit Alan Hansen famously wrote them off, claiming “you’ll never win anything with kids”.

Manchester United went on to prove the critics wrong, clawing back a 12-point deficit to Newcastle United, to win the Premier League.

They also won the FA Cup again, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final.

Manchester United: 1996-97

Roy Keane’s 1996-97 season was disrupted by injuries and suspensions, resulting in him playing only 21 of the club’s 38 league games.

Manchester United still won the Premier League again, Keane’s third title in his four seasons at the club.

Manchester United: 1997-98

Keane took over as the club captain of Manchester United, following Eric Cantona’s retirement from soccer at the end of the 1996-97 season.

His first season as captain was short-lived though.

Keane suffered a cruciate ligament injury against Leeds United in only the ninth league game of the campaign. He did not play again that season.

The injury occurred as a result of Keane’s attempt to tackle the Leeds player Alf-Inge Håland. As he lay on the ground, Håland stood over Keane, and accused him of trying to hurt him and faking injury to avoid punishment from the referee.

This would lead to an infamous incident between the two players three-and-a-half years later.

Manchester United ended the 1997-98 season with no major trophies, having lost the Premier League to Arsenal.

Manchester United: 1998-99

Roy Keane returned from injury to lead Manchester United to the most successful season in the club’s history.

After losing to Middlesbrough in the Premier League on 19th December 1998, Manchester United went on a 33-game unbeaten run across three competitions.

They ended the season winning the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, and remain the only English team ever to win this treble in the same season.

Included in this run was the match that came to be regarded as the greatest performance of Roy Keane’s career; the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg away to Juventus.

The first leg at Old Trafford had ended in a 1-1 draw, courtesy of an injury-time equaliser from Ryan Giggs.

At the second leg in Turin, Manchester United got off to a terrible start and were 2-0 down after only 11 minutes.

Roy Keane took control of the game, dragged Manchester United back into it with a goal after 24 minutes, and inspired the team to victory with a stirring performance.

This was despite receiving a yellow card for a foul on Zinedine Zidane after only 33 minutes, which meant that he would miss the final through suspension.

In his book Managing My Life: My Autobiography (1999), Alex Ferguson described Keane’s performance that evening:

I didn’t think I could have a higher opinion of any footballer than I already had of the Irishman, but he rose even further in my estimation at the Stadio Delle Alpi. The minute he was booked and out of the final, he seemed to redouble his efforts to get the team there. It was the most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field. Pounding over every blade of grass, competing as if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose, he inspired all around him. I felt it was an honour to be associated with such a player. When he leapt to meet a Beckham corner and headed in our first goal, it was as if his will had given the ball no choice but to land in the net

Roy Keane had to watch from the stands as Manchester United came from behind with two injury-time goals to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final at the Camp Nou, Barcelona.

Manchester United: 1999-2000

Roy Keane’s contract at Manchester United was due to run out in the summer of 2000, which if left unresolved, would have enabled him to secure a free transfer at the end of the season.

European giants Juventus and Bayern Munich showed strong interest in signing Keane, as negotiations over a new contract with Manchester United dragged on for several months.

Eventually, in December 1999, Keane agreed a new four-year contract with the club. Now earning £50,000 per week, he was the best-paid player in British soccer.

Keane hadn’t allowed the contract negotiations to affect his form though. He scored the winning goal to beat the Brazilian club Palmeiras 1-0 to win the Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo.

Manchester United had also built a commanding lead in the Premier League.

Towards the end of the season, club officials angered Roy Keane, when they wrote to supporters citing his wages as a reason for increasing season ticket prices the following season.

In response, Keane stated:

I’m not one for holding grudges but this was a stupid mistake, a bad public relations exercise and something that should never have happened. I’m still waiting for my apology but I could be waiting a long time.

Manchester United ended the season winning the Premier League again, this time with an 18-point margin. Keane also won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year for 1999-2000.

Manchester United: 2000-01

Roy Keane made headlines with his remarks in an interview with BBC Radio following a 1-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League on 8th November 2000.

Referring to certain sections of Manchester United supporters at Old Trafford, he said:

Away from home our fans are fantastic, I’d call them the hardcore fans. But 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. To win games by three and four every time – these people need fantasy football. They need to get in the real world.

With this interview, Keane had struck a chord with many soccer fans. The term prawn sandwich brigade became widely used to refer to people who attended matches primarily to enjoy luxury boxes and corporate hospitality, rather than support a team or enjoy the sport.

Five minutes from the end of a 1-1 draw away to Manchester City on 21st April 2001, Roy Keane was sent off for a blatant high and late foul against his previous adversary, Alf-Inge Håland.

For the offence, Keane received a three-match ban and a £5,000 fine, however there would be further repercussions from this incident with the release of his autobiography the following year.

Manchester United won the Premier League for the third successive season in 2000-01, Keane’s sixth league title in his eight years at the club.

Manchester United: 2001-02

A bad start to the season left Manchester United in ninth place in the Premier League following their defeat to West Ham United on 8th December 2001.

This may in part have been due to Alex Ferguson’s announcement at the end of the 2000-01 season that he would be retiring in the summer of 2002.

On Christmas Day 2001, Ferguson reversed his decision to retire. The club’s form picked up and in February 2002, it was made public that he would be staying on as manager after all.

Manchester United failed to win any trophies all season and finished in third place in the Premier League.

Manchester United: 2002-03

The season started controversially for Roy Keane with the release of his book Keane: The Autobiography in August 2002, which included details of his foul on Alf-Inge Håland the previous year.

In his book, Keane wrote:

I’d waited long enough. I fucking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you cunt. And don’t ever stand over me again sneering about fake injuries. And tell your pal [David] Wetherall there’s some for him as well. I didn’t wait for Mr Elleray to show the red card. I turned and walked to the dressing room.

At an FA hearing in October 2002, Keane was found guilty of setting out to harm an opponent and profiting from the subsequent revelations over that challenge. He was banned for five matches and fined £150,000.

Around this time, Keane also underwent a hip operation to cure a long-standing problem.

He returned to the team in December 2002, and led the club to yet another Premier League title.

Manchester United: 2003-04

Now aged 32, Roy Keane was adapting his game. Unable to play box-to-box for the full 90 minutes, he was playing more as a sitting midfielder.

Manchester United were in a period of transition and Alex Ferguson was in the process of building his next great team. The 17-year old Cristiano Ronaldo had joined from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2003, and great things were expected of him.

Manchester United were well below their usual standards in the Premier League, finishing behind an Arsenal team that went the entire league season unbeaten, and Chelsea, now awash with Russian money.

They did, however, win the FA Cup, beating Millwall 3-0 in the final.

Manchester United: 2004-05

The rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal was at its most fierce in the 2004-05 season.

Bad feeling had been building between the two teams over previous seasons. Going into their Premier League clash at Old Trafford on 24th October 2004, Arsenal were on a record-breaking unbeaten run of 49 league matches. Avoiding defeat at Old Trafford would make it 50.

Roy Keane missed the match due to an iron deficiency caused by an extreme dieting regime that he had implemented.

In an ill-tempered game, Manchester United triumphed 2-0 and Arsenal’s long unbeaten run was over.

Tempers flared in the tunnel afterwards, involving players and staff from both teams. Pizza, and possibly other foodstuffs, were thrown at Alex Ferguson during the confrontation.

The return match at Highbury on 1st February 2005 was eagerly anticipated, but nobody could have predicted that the headlines would all be about a confrontation between the two team captains before the match even began.

As well as the bad feeling between the two teams at this time, Roy Keane and the Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, had also developed a fierce rivalry. Both players occupied central midfield positions and competed directly with each other to take control of games.

As the players from both teams waited in the narrow tunnel at Highbury before the start of the game, Patrick Vieira was threatening the Manchester United full-back Gary Neville.

When Keane came out of the dressing room and saw what was happening, he stepped in to defend his team-mate and confronted Vieira.

A camera in the tunnel showed live footage of the incident on TV, with Keane clearly saying to the referee, “tell him to shut his fucking mouth!”

The referee, Graham Poll, later said that he could have sent both players off in the tunnel, but that he was under pressure to allow the game to pass without controversy.

Manchester United won the match 4-2, however at the end of the season, they finished third in the Premier League, behind Chelsea and Arsenal.

This was to be Keane’s last full season as a Manchester United player.

Manchester United: 2005-06

Roy Keane left Manchester United on 18th November 2005 in dramatic circumstances.

On 18th September 2005, he broke his foot in a 0-0 draw against Liverpool, which would be his last game for the club.

While recovering from injury, he was scheduled to review a Manchester United match for the club channel MUTV, which he was contractually obliged to do from time to time.

The producers asked him to review a Premier League match away to Middlesbrough on 29th October 2005. Manchester United lost the game 4-1.

As would be expected from such a poor result and performance by the team, Keane was critical of a number of the players in his interview with MUTV.

Alex Ferguson was furious and the programme was never broadcast. He gathered the whole team together, Keane included, and played the video of the interview.

Ferguson considered that Keane had shown disloyalty and had crossed a line. Keane, on the other hand, considered that he had given an honest assessment of a poor performance and that he wanted to motivate the team to improve.

The meeting ended with Keane having a blazing row with both Ferguson and his assistant, Carlos Queiroz.

Keane continued to train over the next few days, but he sensed that something wasn’t right, that perhaps the club were going to try to get rid of him.

On 18th November 2005, Roy Keane and his solicitor, Michael Kennedy, attended a meeting with Alex Ferguson and the club’s Chief Executive, David Gill.

At the meeting, Ferguson told Keane that he had come to the end and that his contract was to be torn up. Keane, in turn, agreed that he would go.

After 12 hugely successful, often controversial, but never dull years, Roy Keane was no longer a Manchester United player.

In his book, The Second Half (2014), Keane wrote that after leaving this meeting,

I got into my car and drove out of the training ground. I pulled over just outside and cried for a couple of minutes. I just thought, ‘It’s over.’

Celtic

After leaving Manchester United, Roy Keane received offers to join Real Madrid and Everton, but chose to sign for Celtic.

Even though the other offers would have been financially more rewarding, Keane had always liked Celtic, liked the Irish connection with the club and wanted to play against Rangers in an Old Firm game.

He also felt that he could have a greater impact at Celtic than at the other clubs.

The attitude of the Celtic manager Gordon Strachan gave him an extra incentive to join. According to Keane’s book, The Second Half (2014),

Gordon told me, ‘I’m not really too worried if you sign for us or not. We’re okay without you.’

So I said to myself, ‘Fuck him, I’m signing.’

I think it was one of the reasons I signed for them – to prove Gordon wrong.

On 15th December 2005, Roy Keane signed for Celtic.

Keane’s first match for Celtic was in a shock 2-1 defeat in the Scottish Cup to First Division side Clyde on 8th January 2006.

His time at Celtic was frequently interrupted by injury. He suffered from two hamstring tears and a long-term problem with his hip.

Celtic comfortably won the 2005-06 Scottish Premier League and also won the Scottish League Cup.

Due to injuries, Keane only played 13 games for Celtic. He did, however, get to play in an Old Firm match, putting in a man of the match performance in a 1-0 win away to Rangers.

On 9th May 2006, Roy Keane had his Manchester United testimonial with a match against his current club, Celtic.

Keane played for Celtic in the first half and Manchester United in the second, in front of a capacity crowd of 69,591.

Retirement Announcement

On 12th June 2006, Roy Keane announced his retirement from soccer due to his degenerating hip, which would only worsen if he continued to play.

His announcement led to praise from figures throughout the sport.

Alex Ferguson stated that,

Roy’s obsession with winning and the demands he put on others made him the most influential player in the dressing room. He became a great captain through that and, to my mind, he is the best player I have had in all of my time here. Over the years when they start picking the best teams of all time, he will be in there.

International Career

Roy Keane’s early experiences with Ireland’s representative teams at Under-16, Under-18 and Under-21 levels led him to develop a view that “the Irish set-up…was a bit of a joke”.

He continued to hold this view throughout his playing career and had a number of disagreements and confrontations with management over the years.

Keane made his full debut for Ireland on 22nd May 1991, in a friendly at home to Chile, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

He did have the opportunity to make his debut earlier, but he declined an invitation in February 1991 to join the Ireland squad, as he instead play for Nottingham Forest in the (now defunct) Zenith Data Systems Cup.

This led to a threat from the FAI that the national team manager Jack Charlton said he would never play for Ireland again if he pulled out.

Keane never got on with Charlton. In his book, Keane: The Autobiography (2002), he wrote, “I found it impossible to relate to him as a man or as a coach.”

US Cup 1992

Roy Keane’s first international tour with the senior side was at the US Cup in 1992. He played in one of Ireland’s three games.

Notably, it was here that Keane had his first falling out with the future national team manager Mick McCarthy.

On the last night of the tour in Boston, Jack Charlton gave the players the night off. He told them they just had to be back at the hotel for 7.30 the next morning to catch the team bus to the airport.

Keane went out drinking with Steve Staunton and they turned up late for the bus in the morning. Everyone else was already on the bus, waiting to go to the airport.

Keane was still drunk, and according to Niall Quinn, was wearing a ‘Kiss Me Quick’ hat.

Charlton was furious and berated them for being late. Keane responded, “Why didn’t you go without us? I didn’t ask you to wait.”

Keane sat down in the bus, but was confronted by the team captain Mick McCarthy. Keane says he told “Captain Fantastic” to “Go and fuck yourself!” A heated row ensued, and the goalkeeper Packie Bonner had to intervene to separate them.

This incident soured relations between Keane and McCarthy, and left a lasting impression on both men.

World Cup 1994

Roy Keane played in all four of Ireland’s games at the 1994 World Cup, which was held in the USA, and was named the best player of their campaign.

Ireland’s performance at this World Cup was considered a success. In the group stage, they beat one of the pre-tournament favourites Italy 1-0 at Giants Stadium, New York.

Ireland qualified for the second round, but lost 2-0 to a strong Netherlands team.

Keane considered the tournament to have been a disappointment, stating that, “There was nothing to celebrate. We achieved little.”

World Cup 2002: Qualifying

Ireland had failed to qualify for a major international tournament since the 1994 World Cup, and faced a difficult draw for the 2002 tournament. They were in the same qualifying group as Portugal and the Netherlands.

Mick McCarthy was the national team manager and Roy Keane was the captain. They still did not get on with each other, however, and direct communication between them was kept to a minimum.

Inspired by some magnificent performances by Keane, particularly against Portugal and the Netherlands, Ireland went through the campaign unbeaten.

Ireland finished second in the qualifying group behind Portugal and reached a two-legged play-off against Iran.

The first leg of the play-off was held at Lansdowne Road on 10th November 2001. Ireland won the game 2-0.

Roy Keane withdrew from the squad prior to the second leg and returned to Manchester United to receive treatment for an injury.

The second leg was held in Tehran on 15th November 2001. Ireland lost the game 1-0, but won the tie 2-1 on aggregate and qualified for the 2002 World Cup, which was to be held in Japan and South Korea.

World Cup 2002: Saipan Incident

The FAI selected the western Pacific island of Saipan as the initial base for the Ireland squad, prior to travelling to Japan for the start of the tournament.

After arriving in Saipan on 18th May 2002, Keane was very unhappy with the facilities and lack of preparation. The training gear hadn’t arrived and the training pitch was in a very poor condition.

On the second day of training, Keane had a heated argument with the goalkeeping coach Packie Bonner, and goalkeeper Alan Kelly.

On 21st May 2002, Keane decided he had had enough and told Mick McCarthy he was going home.

Following conversations with McCarthy, the Irish physio Mick Byrne, Alex Ferguson and his solicitor Michael Kennedy, among others, Keane decided he would stay after all.

After training the following day, Keane was interviewed by two Irish journalists, Paul Kimmage of the Sunday Independent and Tom Humphries of the Irish Times. In the interview, Keane made clear his dissatisfaction with the facilities and arrangements in Saipan.

When Mick McCarthy read the interview, he was furious. He called a meeting and confronted Keane about it in front of the whole squad and coaching staff.

Keane reacted angrily and refused to back down. McCarthy questioned whether Keane had faked injury to avoid the trip to Tehran for the second leg of the play-off against Iran.

It was at this point that Keane unleashed a verbal tirade against McCarthy, that lasted around 10 minutes.

Mick, you’re a liar… you’re a fucking 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 fucking 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.

Niall Quinn described the tirade as, “the most surgical slaughtering I’ve ever heard. Mick McCarthy is dismantled from A to Z – his personality, his play, his style, his tactics, his contribution.”

Roy Keane left the room, his World Cup and the most incredible rant in the history of Irish sport over.

Saipan: The Aftermath

Almost immediately after the meeting ended, Mick McCarthy called a press conference, where he announced that he had sent Roy Keane home.

Senior squad members Niall Quinn, Steve Staunton and Alan Kelly attended the press conference with McCarthy. They all publicly backed the manager and his decision.

By this stage, FIFA’s deadline for finalising World Cup squads had passed, so Keane could not be replaced.

Behind the scenes, a number of people, including Niall Quinn, Keane’s solicitor Michael Kennedy and the taoiseach Bertie Ahern tried to find a way to resolve the situation so Keane could return.

This was the biggest talking point in Ireland and became very divisive. Roy Keane had both fervent supporters and detractors over the incident.

On 27th May 2002, RTÉ broadcast a Tommie Gorman interview with Keane. In the interview, Keane stood by his stance, but his tone was more conciliatory and he didn’t rule out returning to the World Cup.

Mick McCarthy was under a lot of pressure from the media, Irish public opinion and the players to find a way to allow Keane to return. McCarthy agreed that if Keane contacted him directly and apologised, then he would allow him to return to the squad.

On 29th May 2002, Roy Keane brought all speculation to an end with the release of a statement that he would not be returning to the World Cup.

And so ended one of the most sensational incidents in the history of Irish sport.

The video below provides a good summary of the events at Saipan and public reaction afterwards.

Ireland reached the second round of the World Cup, where they lost to Spain in a penalty shoot-out.

Keane stated that he would never play for Ireland again under Mick McCarthy.

Following a poor start to the qualifying competition for Euro 2004, McCarthy resigned as Ireland manager on 5th November 2002.

International Return

Shortly after Brian Kerr took over as the new Ireland manager in 2003, he met with Keane to discuss the possibility of him returning to international soccer.

As Keane was recovering from a hip operation, he decided against it at this stage, so that he could concentrate on getting back to full fitness.

Following further discussions, Keane felt an emotional pull to return. He also felt there was unfinished business.

On 27th May 2004, Roy Keane returned to the Ireland team for a friendly against Romania at Lansdowne Road, which Ireland won 1-0. He only returned as a player though, as Kerr decided that Kenny Cunningham should continue as captain.

Keane played in six of Ireland’s ten qualifying matches for the 2006 World Cup, however they narrowly failed to qualify.

Roy Keane’s last match in an Ireland shirt was a 1-0 defeat to France at Lansdowne Road on 7th September 2005.

Managerial Career

Sunderland

On 28th August 2006, Roy Keane became the manager of Sunderland.

At the time, Sunderland were 23rd in the Championship, having been managed by the chairman Niall Quinn for the first five games of the season. Despite the events at Saipan, Keane and Quinn were now on good terms.

Keane quickly brought new players into the squad, signing six players on the final day of the August transfer deadline.

One of the new signings was Keane’s former team-mate at Manchester United, the 34-year old Dwight Yorke. Keane later said that Yorke was his best signing.

Under Keane’s management, Sunderland’s results began to improve immediately. They made steady progress up the league table and by January, they were in the top half.

Sunderland signed five further players in January 2007 and their form continued to improve. Roy Keane was awarded Manager of the Month in both February and March.

Despite their terrible start to the season, Sunderland won the 2006-07 Championship title, and with it, promotion to the Premier League.

As with all promoted teams to the Premier League, Sunderland’s aim for the 2007-08 season was to avoid relegation. They achieved this, finishing 15th, three points above the drop zone.

Sunderland had spent nearly £30 million on new players for the 2008-09 season, and expectations were high.

In September 2008, the American businessman Ellis Short gained a controlling interest in Sunderland. Keane felt this changed things:

I went down to London to meet him twice. I thought, hmm, the dynamics are changing here. He said he had read my book. I felt he was thinking from the start that I wasn’t for him. He sort of knew this wasn’t going to be a long-term relationship.

Even though Sunderland beat their local rivals Newcastle United at home for the first time in 28 years, Keane was under pressure due to the club’s inconsistent form.

Following a 4-1 defeat at home to Bolton Wanderers on 29th November 2008, Sunderland dropped into the bottom three and Keane indicated he may quit.

On 4th December 2008, it was announced that Sunderland and Roy Keane had mutually agreed to part company.

Ipswich Town

On 23rd April 2009, Keane was appointed as the manager of the Championship side, Ipswich Town.

This job was not a positive experience for Keane, and by his own admission, he managed badly at Ipswich.

In Keane’s first full season at Ipswich, they finished 15th in the table. Poor and inconsistent form continued into the 2010-11 season.

On 7th January 2011, with Ipswich 19th in the table, Roy Keane was sacked.

Some commentators were of the opinion that this would be the end of his managerial career.

Eamon Dunphy, for example, said:

The constant stories of fights with players and his public denunciation of his own players are bad signs. I don’t think Roy Keane is cut-out temperamentally for management.

Ireland

On 5th November 2013, the FAI announced that Martin O’Neill was the new Ireland manager, and Roy Keane was the new assistant manager.

The appointment of Keane overshadowed that of the new manager himself. Liam Brady noted that, “Never in the history of football has a number two made so much news.”

Despite many commentators predicting that O’Neill’s decision to have Roy Keane as his assistant would prove to be a mistake, they worked well together. Keane also had no problem working as the number two.

Their first game with Ireland was a 3-0 victory over Latvia in a friendly at the Aviva Stadium.

At the end of the 2013-14 season, it looked as though Keane was set to become the next Celtic manager. He met with Celtic’s owner, Dermot Desmond, who offered him the job.

After giving consideration to the job and terms on offer, Keane turned it down. In his book, The Second Half (2014), Keane said:

Celtic didn’t give me enough of a headache. They just didn’t show me that they wanted me, and I was happier staying in the Ireland job. Working with Martin has given me back a love of the game, and I’m all for showing a bit of loyalty.

Under Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane, Ireland’s qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 included a famous 1-0 victory against Germany at the Aviva Stadium.

Ireland reached a play-off by finishing third in their qualifying group, behind Germany and Poland. In the two-legged play-off, Ireland beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 on aggregate and reached Euro 2016.

At Euro 2016, Ireland won their final group game in another famous victory, this time against Italy with an 85th minute goal by Robbie Brady.

This win ensured Ireland qualified for the second round, where they met the tournament hosts, France. Despite a creditable performance, Ireland lost the game 2-1 and were eliminated from the competition.

O’Neill and Keane remained in charge of Ireland for the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Their good form continued and with five of the ten qualifying matches played, Ireland are level on points with Serbia at the top of the group.

Aston Villa

On 1st July 2014, Roy Keane was named as Aston Villa’s assistant manager, working with Paul Lambert.

Once the 2014-15 season started, Keane found it difficult to combine his jobs with Aston Villa and Ireland.

He decided to concentrate on the Ireland job and on 28th November 2014, he left Aston Villa.

Media Career

Roy Keane has worked as a soccer analyst for ITV during live matches.

His first work for ITV was at the 2011 Champions League Final at Wembley between Manchester United and Barcelona. Over the next three years, he was a regular and popular feature on ITV’s live soccer coverage.

After starting the Ireland job in November 2013, Keane started to feel conflicted between the two roles. He decided to prioritise the Ireland job and reduced his media commitments.

Personal Life

Roy Keane is married to Theresa Doyle. They have five children together. They met in 1992 when he was a Nottingham Forest player and she was a dentist’s assistant. They married in Cork in 1997.

Keane’s pet labrador, Triggs, gained public attention in 2002. After the Saipan incident, the media gathered outside Keane’s home, and regularly followed him as he took Triggs for walks.

Triggs passed away in 2012, which left Keane devastated.

Major Honours

Player

Manchester United

Premier League (7): 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03
FA Cup (4): 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04
UEFA Champions League (1): 1998-99
Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999

PFA Players’ Player of the Year (1): 1999-2000
FWA Footballer of the Year (1): 1999-2000

Overview

Contents

Personal Information

Childhood

Club Career

Cobh Ramblers

Nottingham Forest

Joining Manchester United

Manchester United: 1993-94

Manchester United: 1994-95

Manchester United: 1995-96

Manchester United: 1996-97

Manchester United: 1997-98

Manchester United: 1998-99

Manchester United: 1999-2000

Manchester United: 2000-01

Manchester United: 2001-02

Manchester United: 2002-03

Manchester United: 2003-04

Manchester United: 2004-05

Manchester United: 2005-06

Celtic

Retirement Announcement

International Career

US Cup 1992

World Cup 1994

World Cup 2002: Qualifying

World Cup 2002: Saipan Incident

Saipan: The Aftermath

International Return

Managerial Career

Sunderland

Ipswich Town

Ireland

Aston Villa

Media Career

Personal Life

Major Honours

Player

Manchester United

Celtic

Manager

Sunderland