1994 F.A. Premier League
1994 F.A. Cup
1996 F.A. Premier League
1996 F.A. Cup
1997 F.A. Premier League
1999 F.A. Premier League
1999 F.A. Cup
1999 European Champions League
1999 Intercontinental Cup
2000 F.A. Premier League
2001 F.A. Premier League
2003 F.A. Premier League
2004 F.A Cup
Roy Keane's determination, stamina, strength and ball winning ability, together with a range of passing and superb reading of the game made him the driving force behind Manchester United for over a decade. When Keane was on the pitch, such was his power and influence everybody knew that it is was going to take one hell of a performance by the opposition to beat the Reds.
His late runs into the box to score vital goals coupled with a powerful personality made him the undisputed leader of the United team. Yet, his years at Old Trafford will also be remembered for controversy, as the Irishman pulled no punches and refused to settle for second best.
In his youth Keane was originally thought too small in height
to become a footballer (a similar thing had happened to that other
United midfield great Bryan Robson). He took a job lifting beer
barrels to build up his strength and practised his skills relentlessly
with great determination to become a footballer.
His hard work paid off and after starting his footballing career
with Irish side Cobh Ramblers, Brian Clough took him to Nottingham Forest
as an eighteen year old. Keane made quick progress to the first
team. His League debut with Nottingham Forest was away to Liverpool,
the then champions in 1990. At the end of his first full season,
Keane made an appearance in the 1991 FA Cup Final, getting a runners-up
medal. A season later he was again on the losing side at Wembley,
with Nottingham Forest losing 1-0 to United in the League Cup
Final.
In July 1993 United paid a then, club and English record fee of
£3.75 million for Keane. Sir Alex Ferguson snatched Keane from under the noses of Blackburn Rovers who already had a verbal agreement with the player. At first he played in a variety of positions such as support striker and right wing, before finally settling in central midfield. Keane made an immediate impact with two goals on his home debut in a 3-0 win over Sheffield United and the late winner in a dramatic win in the Manchester derby at Maine Road.
Three Premier League Championships and two doubles followed as the man from Cork became increasingly influential and it was clear he was the natural heir to Bryan Robson. When Paul Ince departed in 1995, Keane made the midfield position his own and became the focal point of the United midfield. At the end of the 1996-97 season, Eric Cantona retired from professional football and Keane took over the captaincy, becoming the team's new talisman.
From injury to the Treble
However, less than two months into his first year as skipper, in September 1997, Keane picked up a dreaded cruciate knee injury in an innocuous clash with Leeds United's Alf Eng Haaland. It was an incident that would still have consequences years down the line, for Roy never forgot how the Norwegian had called him a cheat as he lay injured on the pitch.
The United captain spent a frustrating season on the sidelines recovering and building his knee back to full strength. Luckily for Manchester United, he fought his way back to full fitness and was leaner, fitter and better than ever, leading the team out for their greatest season yet in 1998-99.
The 1998-99 season was perhaps the best of Keane's career for he was the dynamic force behind many of the team's best performances. Away to Juventus in the European Cup semi-final he showed true captain's spirit - even when he knew he would miss the final because of a booking for a mis-timed tackle, it didn't stop him playing his heart out. In the Champions League final his absence was all too obvious against Bayern Munich.
Keano bounced back and had an excellent season in 1999-2000 winning both the PFA player of the year award and the Football writers player of the
year. His leadership and determination was instrumental behind United's run away championship win. Given he could leave at the end of the season
for free under the Bosman ruling, there was much speculation and over whether he would stay at the club. After attracting interest from Inter, Lazio and Bayern, Keane turned down their lucrative £100,000 a week deals in favour of United's £52,000 offer ( which still made him Britain's highest paid footballer).
The only real disappointment for Keane that season was the own goal against Real Madrid in the Semi-final and his missed chance that would have made it 1-1 in the same game. As always, it was his tackling and will to win that made him so important but Keano had a high scoring season: scoring a vital late double that sunk Arsenal and the winning goal in the Intercontinental Cup.
Prawn sandwiches
The 2000-2001 season will be partly remembered as the season of Roy Keane's controversial outbursts. He famously accused United's corporate fans of being more interested in eating "prawn sandwiches" than watching the team. He attacked the team's performance on numerous occasions and after the Champions League exit to Bayern Munich, Keane said United were "an average side" and criticised his team-mates commitment.
There is no doubt that although Keane received a medal in 1999 but didn't play in the the final, he felt he had not really won the European Cup. His anger was he felt that team-mates who had played in Barcelona 1999 didn't have the same burning desire as him to repeat the triumph and had therefore let him down.
On the footballing side, Keane was his usual tireless self, everywhere at once and the driving force in midfield. However, he didn't score as many goals as the previous term and it ended on a low after being sent off at Old Trafford against Manchester City. A vicious revenge tackle on City's Alf Eng Haaland led to media over-reaction and more controversy, which would have later ramifications.
In 2001-2002 Keane had reason to again be critical of United as the team experienced a mid-term slump. The midfield had been disrupted by the introduction of Juan Sebastian Veron but by Christmas the team was winning again. Against Deportivo in the Champions League Quarter-final Keane picked up a nasty hamstring injury that appeared to have ended his season.
A miraculous recovery saw the Irishman back within 3 weeks but like the season before it would be disappointment in Europe. Keane called it "A disaster" and he wasn't wrong. Despite scoring himself in the 1-1 away leg draw, little fancied Bayer Leverkusen ended United's Glasgow dream on the away goals rule.
World Cup bust-up
With the disappointment behind him, Roy was set to skipper the Republic of Ireland in the Japan/Korea World Cup. However in mid May, the long simmering division between him and manager Mick McCarthy broke out into a furious row. Keane accused the Irish team of being badly organised with shoddy preparations. whilst McCarthy countered with claims the United star had feigned injury and let his country down. Inevitably, Keane rained a torrent of abuse at McCarthy and in front of the other players. He was expelled from the squad and flew back to England.
In Ireland it was sensational news, causing unprecedented debate and splitting the country into Keane/McCarthy camps. Despite negotiations and media speculation Keane just couldn't bring himself to apologise.
The Irish played on without him and the World Cup lost one of its biggest stars. Keane announced his international retirement soon after. The whole incident showed once again that his frustrations are the result of an intense desire to be the best, he has no time for anyone who cannot live up to those standards.
The 'new' Roy Keane
In the new season Keano was back for United but quickly vanished from the scene after only three games. August 2003 saw the release of his controversial autobiography he claimed to have deliberately injured Alf Eng Haaland as revenge for 1997 when Haaland mocked Keane as he lay with his cruciate injury.
Just when the storm was at boiling point Keano gave more ammo for the media by elbowing Jason McAteer to get himself sent off at Sunderland. Fergie stood by him as always as the FA gave him a six game ban for bringing the game into disrepute.
Ferguson decided to use this break to send Keane for an operation on his troubled hip, which had been caused the midfielder to need painkilling injections for over a year. The operation turned out to be more serious than first thought but Keane was back in action by late December.
Questions soon arose over the "new Roy Keane". The player had admitted after his operation he would have to change his game and he did appear a changed man. He seemed quieter, less aggressive and generally less influential than before. Many pundits put this down to decreased mobility after the injury and said he would never be the same again.
Were they right? Getting back to full fitness had taken a longer adjustment however, by the season's climax the critics were silent. Roy rampaged around the pitch, tackling, passing, making 'man of the match' performances and in the process leading United to an eighth Premiership title.
Fallout with Fergie
In 2003-2004 Ferguson chose to rest Keane for a number of games throughout the season - much to the Irishman's frustration but given the numerous small injuries sustained, the manager probably had little option. Keane also surprised everyone by returning to International football, with Brian Kerr bringing Keane's professionalism to the FAI setup, the temptation to right the wrong proved too great.
Free from serious injury, Keane played a lot more games in season 2004-2005 and got his 50th goal (includes Intercontinental cup) versus Birmingham. Though not the domineering force of old, there were reminders that he was still a great player with fine performances against Liverpool at Anfield and Arsenal at Highbury in which rivals Vieira and Gerrard were put firmly in their place. The Highbury clash also featured a tunnel bust up between the United and Arsenal captain's which showed Keane at his fiery best, challenging the Frenchman after he had intimidated Gary Neville.
The new season began with arguments between Ferguson and his captain over pre-season training arrangements. He was dropped from United's Asian trip and his relationship had now cooled with the man who had been his ally for so long. The Irishman was not happy with standards at Old Trafford both on and off the pitch. When picked up a broken foot injury at Anfield on 18th September few thought it was his last appearance in a United shirt.
In an MUTV interview "Roy Keane plays the pundit" after a 4-1 defeat at Middlesbrough, Roy lashed out at his team-mates naming amongst others, Darren Fletcher and Rio Ferdinand, whilst implying poor management. The final straw came when Keane had a furious argument with assistant coach Carlos Queiroz in which he severely criticised the Portuguese coach openly in front of team-mates.
In the past Ferguson would have tolerated such an outburst given Keane's importance, but now the injury prone skipper was more expendable. On Friday 18th November 2005 Keane made a shock exit from Old Trafford, leaving by mutual consent. 12-and-a-half years at Old Trafford had ended abrubtly. After months of specualation the Irishman joined his boyhood team Celtic. On 12th June 2006 Keane retired, ending his career as a player but by August he was back as the manager of Sunderland, forming an unlikely and so far successful partnership with old enemy, Niall Quinn.
Conclusion
Keano was heartbeat of Manchester United - the team was simply never the same without his influence and constant motivation. Roy was United's man of the people, a player more at home with the fan on the street than in the soul-less corporate boardroom. He shared Sir Alex Ferguson's relentless pursuit of perfection and came to embody Fergie's own spirit inside Old Trafford - issuing his orders on the pitch and delivering public criticism that many suspected had came from the manager.
Ferguson rates him as the greatest player of his Old Trafford reign and Keane was central to the whole football United philosophy in the club's most dominant era. Roy Keane was the Premiership's finest midfielder in the last decade, he is a man and player who will prove irreplaceable - on and off the pitch.
Keane trivia
When he was young, Keano's English team was Spurs and his hero was Glen Hoddle.
Keane's roots are in the working-class village of Mayfield on the outskirts of Cork. His father is nicknamed "Mossie", mum is Marie and his three brothers are Denis, Pat and Johnson.
He used to be an amateur boxer in his early days.
As a youngster Roy wrote to a whole host of English clubs for a trial, but didn't write to United. He didn't think he was good enough.
Keane has played in a record five FA Cup finals in the 1990's. One for Forest and four for United.
Keano became Dr Keano for a day in May 2002. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law from Cork University.
Keane has captained United to 9 major honours making him Manchester United's most successsful skipper.
He has a £1.4 million house in the town of Hale, near Altrincham, Greater Manchester. Many of his ex-team-mates such as Ole Solskjaer and Ruud van Nistelrooy live in this wealthy area.
Keane has a wife Teresa and 4 children: Shannon, Cara, Aidan and Leah. (Not forgetting his pet labrador Triggs)
In February 2005, the comedy musical "I, Keano" opened in the Olympia Theatre Dublin, telling the story of the Saipan World Cup incident as a Greek epic. Characters included Keano (Roy Keane), General Macartacus (Mick McCarthy) and Fergie the Scottish Dolphin God (Alex Ferguson).
Keane's reported tirade at Mick McCarthy has passed into legend. "Mick, you're a liar... you're a f**king 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**king wanker and you can stick your f**king 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."
