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Roy Keane Threatened To 'F**king Smash' A Drunk Opponent, It Scared Him So Much He Sobered Up
"You’re a great lad. But when we play you at the weekend, I’m gonna f***ing smash you!”
Roy Keane once threatened to 'f**king smash' Ian Harte on a night out and it scared him so much, he immediately sobered up and went to bed.
Keane made his name as a no-nonsense midfielder at Manchester United and is regarded as one of the Premier League's greatest players.
What came with that was a fiery temper and Ian Harte has revealed one encounter got so intense, it sobered him up.
He told FourFourTwo: "Back when we both played for Ireland, we’d sometimes go for a drink together.
"After one night out, we got back to the hotel – Leeds were due to play Manchester United on the Saturday.
"Roy turns around and says, 'Hartey, you’re a great lad. But when we play you at the weekend, I’m gonna f***ing smash you!' I sobered up straight away and went to bed. I love Roy though, I’ve got so much respect for him."
Keane and Harte were international teammates for nine years before Keane stepped away from international football in 2005.
He'd then sign the defender while Sunderland manager in 2007, but Harte would only stay for one year before joining Blackpool.
Keane was no stranger to enjoying a drink during his player career and even had a scuffle with teammate Peter Schmeichel in a hotel room, leaving the Dane with a black eye.
Bobby Charlton also walked in on Keane throwing hands with Gary Pallister during a trip to Marbella. That's some holiday story.
Keane now works as a pundit for Sky Sports and ITV.
It comes as no surprise he's as harsh in the studio as he was on the pitch.
This season in particular has seen him go in on former club United following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking.
United are currently seventh in the Premier League under interim manager Ralf Rangnick and the players know it isn't enough.
Current captain Harry Maguire admitted last week he wants standards to improve, but Keane wants to see his talking on the pitch.
Keane claimed back in 2019 that Solskjaer would be 'thrown under the bus' by his players in a similar manner to Jose Mourinho.
United return to action on Saturday against Aston Villa and they're currently six points off West Ham United in fourth.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Roy Keane, Manchester United
Daniel Marland