ROY’S RANTS OVER THE YEARS:
From player to pundit to assistant manager
The PLAYER
“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.” - The Manchester United captain takes aim at the club’s corporate supporters.
“Who the f*** are you, asking me a question? Who the f*** are you? You were a shit player and you’re a worse manager. You’re a w ***** as a man, you’re a wanker as a manager and you shouldn’t be managing my country. Fuck you, and you can f ***** stick your World Cup.” - There are conflicting accounts but Shay Given’s 2017 autobiography offered the goalkeeper’s recollection of what Keane said to Mick McCarthy in the row that preceded his departure from the 2002 World Cup.
“I said, ‘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. I had opportunities to go to Juventus and Bayern Munich.. And you as well gaffer. We need f ****** more from you. We need a bit more, gaffer. We’re slipping behind other teams.” - Keane lashes out at United assistant Carlos Queiroz - and the intervening manager Alex Ferguson - during a heated pre-season row in Portugal.
“Just because you (Rio Ferdinand) are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you’re a superstar. I can’t understand why people in Scotland rave about Darren Fletcher. 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.” - A selection of Keane comments from the infamous banned MUTV interview that led to his departure from Old Trafford and the disintegration of his relationship with Ferguson.
The MANAGER
“Listen lads. Basically, you’re shit. Try and enjoy the game. You’re probably going to get beat. But just enjoy being shit.” - Danny Higginbotham’s recollection of a Keane team talk during their time at Sunderland. It actually drew a positive response from the players in the game that followed.
“All I’m f ****** hearing from you when I’m watching that game yesterday is f ****** encouragement. That’s all I’m hearing. I thought, ‘well, that’s not so bad.’ I don’t f ******* want that. I want you to tell some of them they’re being c **** . Tell them.” - Keane offered feedback to Higginbotham on his approach to the Black Cats defender’s colleagues.
“Next week we’ve got our last home game, against Arsenal. You know at the end of the season when you walk around the pitch, and thank the fans for their support? I’m ringing Umbro and getting you some hooded jumpers, because you’re a f ****** embarrassment, it’s a joke and this is not going to stay this way.” - After a defeat at Bolton secured Sunderland’s Premier League survival, after results elsewhere had gone their way, Keane let his players know what he thought of the achievement. He also went around each player detailing their limitations.
“Dwight’s a clown and he’s on an ego trip; he’s brought this on himself. He’s retired from international football about five times.” - Keane was not impressed when Dwight Yorke opted to return to the Trinidad and Tobago setup under his watch.
The PUNDIT
“I’d be more annoyed with my defenders and my goalkeeper than Thierry Henry. How can you leave a ball bounce in the six-yard box? How can you let Thierry Henry get goalside of you? If the ball bounces into the six-yard box, I’d be saying, ‘Where the hell is my goalkeeper?’ If that was my team I’d go into the dressingroom and I wouldn’t even mention the handball. I’d just say, ‘Why didn’t someone put their head on it? Where’s my goalkeeper?’ That’s what I’d be asking.” - Keane was actually manager of Ipswich when he offered his take on the hand of Henry and Ireland’s contentious exit from the 2010 World Cup play-offs.
“I think the players and even the supporters, they all have to change their mentality, it’s just nonsense from players speaking after the games about how great the supporters are. Let’s not kid ourselves, we’re a small country, we’re up against it, but let’s not just go along for the sing-song every now and again.” - Keane’s ITV view on Ireland’s Euro 2012 campaign
“If Liverpool were playing out in my back garden, I wouldn’t watch them. They’re just drifting. Drifting nowhere.” - Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool were on the receiving end of a scathing rebuke last October.
“You look for your senior players to lead by example. I always think, when Wilshere’s your captain, to me, he is probably the most overrated player on the planet.” - Jack Wilshere also received a verbal volley from the TV studio.
“I do remember having conversations with the manager when I was at the club about loyalty. In my opinion, I don’t think he knows the meaning of the word.” - When Alex Ferguson released a book that was critical of his ex-captain, Keane hit back from the couch.
“If he’s a Manchester United player, I’m a Chinaman.” - A dive from Ashley Young draws the wrath of Keane.
The ASSISTANT MANAGER
“You always get the impression from Everton that Seamus and James are both barely able to walk, type of thing. So when they actually turn up and they are walking through the reception.. like, praise the lord, it’s a miracle.” - Everton are in the firing line with Keane miffed by bulletins about Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy before they turn up for Irish duty.
“A reality check for one or two players who thought they were good players. I think he (Aiden McGeady) can do a lot better than last night but maybe that’s the story of Aiden’s career.” - Keane’s acerbic take on the performance of Irish players, with Jeff Hendrick and Aiden McGeady, especially, in the firing line, during the pre-Euro 2016 friendly with Belarus.
“You’re playing international football. You’re playing international football. Control the bloody ball. Pass it and move to your mates. And if you lose it, run back – and run back like you care. There’s other lads who’d be fringe players and would be happy to be fringe players. They don’t want the responsibility of being in the starting eleven.” - The second part of that press conference. Keane apologises to the players.
“When are you going to train you f ****** pr**k?” You’re a f ****** pr**k, you’re a c***, you don’t even care, you don’t wanna train.” - The leaked WhatsApp details attributed to Stephen Ward regarding what he’d heard was Keane’s tirade in the direction of Harry Arter.