Keano’s comic timing comes 16 years too late
THIS week marked the 16th anniversary of Saipan and it happily coincided with Roy Keane’s first media briefing with Irish hacks in several months. It was the cue for a cosy chat down memory lane in Abbotstown. Remember when Mick called that meeting, Roy? What do you think of it all now, eh? Storm in a teacup, I’d say? Only no one dared to enter that particular minefield. Yet, the briefing almost offered a window into Keane’s oft-guarded side. At one point, he spoke about the off-field help for today’s footballers, whether those coping with addictions, or mental health issues. ‘Did you need help, Roy’? he was asked. Briefly, he paused, aware of what direction he might be taken, depending on his answer. ‘Plenty of it, yeah. Still do,’ he said with a laugh. If only there had been more one-liners like that in Saipan…