Man Utd: Roy Keane explained why he would never forgive Sir Alex Ferguson | OneFootball

It’s well known that Roy Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson had a very fractious relationship.

The Irishman spent 12 years at Manchester United, winning 17 major titles before being abruptly released in 2006.

The midfielder was one of the greatest servants to the club and became an integral part of United’s fairytale European Cup campaign in 1999 that saw them win the treble.

He is best known as being one of football’s hard men and is someone who doesn’t back down from an argument, while even going toe-to-toe with his boss Ferguson.

Over the years, Keane was involved with several bust-ups with the Scot that once saw the former manager jump over his desk and lunge at Keane.

Wayne Rooney once recounted that incident on the Tony Bellew Is Angry Podcast, stating that Keane had angered the manager after he’d been recorded in an interview with MUTV criticising some of his teammates.

Ferguson hadn’t been happy by the jibes and called a meeting, in which the 50-year-old became so enraged at Keane, that he had to be held back by other members of staff.

The incident is largely attributed as why the Irishman’s career at Man United was subsequently terminated, with Keane being asked to leave the club shortly after.

But it seems Keane still holds onto his grudge against Ferguson and in 2019 gave his version of events, admitting that he won’t forgive the manager for the way he was eventually let go.

Speaking to the Off The Ball Podcast, Keane recounts how Chief Executive David Gill and Ferguson had unceremoniously told him in a meeting that he was going to be leaving the club, while also forgetting how long he had been playing at Manchester United for.

He said sarcastically: “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.

“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.”

Listen to Keane’s brutal comments in the video below…

In the seasons that followed Keane’s departure, Ferguson would go on to guide Man Utd win the Premier League another five times before retiring.

But while he is considered as perhaps the most successful football manager of all time, Keane downplayed the 80-year-old’s coaching methods and claimed that he was not the manager everyone thought him to be.

“People talk about Ferguson’s man-management. Don’t be kidded by all that.

“I was at the club when Bryan Robson left, when Steve Bruce left, two brilliant servants for Manchester United, and I didn’t like the way they were treated.

“People talk about Ferguson’s man-management. Don’t be kidded by all that.”

Robson and Bruce both had tough ends at United, with Robson being left out of the 1994 FA Cup squad despite scoring a goal in the semi-final that would buy the Red Devils a ticket to Wembley.

Bruce, meanwhile, was persuaded by Ferguson to stay at the club, despite wanting to retire to start a career in coaching. The year before he retired, he was also abruptly left out of the 1996 FA Cup final.

Keane also took aim at some of his former manager’s decisions to involve family members in the club, including his son Darren Ferguson.

“People said Ferguson always had the best interests of Manchester United at heart. Darren Ferguson won a medal. He was very lucky.

“His brother was the chief scout for Manchester United for a long time. I’m surprised his wife wasn’t involved in the staff somewhere.”

While it’s classic stuff from the former United captain, it appears Keane was in no mood to bury the hatchet with his old boss.