Roy Keane admitted that it would “drive me mad” when Sir Alex Ferguson voiced his opposition to him representing the Republic of Ireland on international duty.
The 51-year-old Irish hardman excelled as captain under Ferguson’s reign and hoovered up the trophies at Old Trafford, including seven Premier League titles and a Champions League.
However, Keane’s relationship with Ferguson deteriorated at United and he launched a scathing attack on his former teammates in an explosive MUTV interview ahead of his exit.
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Keane, who went on to play for Celtic before retiring in 2006, captained the Republic of Ireland and made 67 appearances for his country.
The United legend didn’t win any major silverware on the international stage, but Keane did represent the Republic of Ireland at the World Cup.
Keane claimed that he was under “constant pressure” from Ferguson when he committed to international duty with the Republic of Ireland, according to the Metro.
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The former United and Republic of Ireland skipper insisted that he found himself under “huge pressure” and found Ferguson’s stance “very strange and bizarre.”
Speaking on Ferguson, Keane said: “I was under constant pressure when I was going away with Ireland from the Manchester United manager.
“Constantly told, you shouldn’t be going over.
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“Even if you weren’t injured and you had a little knock, they wouldn’t want you going, it was constant pressure.
“I used to see other lads going away and it used to frustrate me, I always felt like they looked at Ireland as maybe not as important as England.
“I thought the club and the manager had an issue with me going to play with Ireland and it used to drive me mad, and it put you under huge pressure.
“I found it very strange and bizarre why a manager would do that to any player.”
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Keane’s rivalry with Ferguson continued long after their time at Old Trafford and the Sky Sports pundit believes the former United manager owes him an apology.
Speaking on Off the Ball podcast in 2019, he said: “As much as I’m not one to hold a grudge, I wouldn’t forgive Ferguson. The media spin, how I apparently upset everybody, it was all nonsense.
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“I don’t care if it’s Alex Ferguson or the Pope, you’re going to defend yourself.
“I think when he apologises I will probably say hello to him, yeah. But I’ve no interest in speaking to the man.”
Topics: Roy Keane, Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United, Premier League, England, Football
Adnan Riaz