Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson detailed a "heated" incident with Manchester United legend Roy Keane that left him "dripping with sweat".
Henderson opened up about an “intense” confrontation with Keane, while he was a trainee with boyhood club Sunderland.
Keane, who was Sunderland's manager between 2006 and 2008, is known for his uncompromising and curmudgeon demeanour.
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His management style proved successful while with the Black Cats, steering the club back to the Premier League as Championship leaders in his first season.
However speaking on the High Performance podcast, Henderson detailed a “heated” incident with Keane after his side put in a dismal performance in a friendly against Gateshead.
Henderson on Keane incident
Henderson detailed a heated incident with Keane after Sunderland’s age-group team lost away at Gateshead.
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The 32-year-old explained: "We had a game, it was a friendly, Sunderland U21s or U23s away at Gateshead, about half an hour or so from Sunderland.
"Wasn't great at all, didn't play very well as a team, I don't even think Roy [Keane] went to the game, I think it was his staff that went - really bad day let's put it that way.
"Anyway, we're getting the coach back and our coaches have said to us that everybody has to go to the training ground when we get there because the gaffer is getting there, Roy, to see you. Everyone's face was white, I must've been 18.
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"We all go in, we're waiting in this room, Roy comes in - we're scattered around the room - he starts with something along the lines of 'this f*** sums you lot up, f** here, there, get together.'
"So we scurry together, in half a semi-circle and he's at the front. He literally goes around everybody, I think somebody had just signed and said: 'we've just paid whatever for you... who the f**** do you think you are' blah, blah, blah, going around talking about the game, not good enough. He went around, it was heated.
"I'm just stood there thinking if he comes to me... I was just dripping with sweat. Anyway, he gets to me and says: 'do you think you can play for the first team?' and just my response, I don't know how or why was: 'yeah'.
"And he went: 'Good because the staff said you were the only one running around,' or something along them lines and then he moves on and I'm like [deep breaths]. It was intense, I suppose in that moment, my self-belief was 'yeah I do [believe]."
Topics: Football, Manchester United, Roy Keane, Liverpool, Sunderland, Jordan Henderson