John O'Shea says Gary Neville was 'clever' before Keane and Vieira's Highbury row | OneFootball

Highlights

Roy Keane's argument with Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira in the tunnel of Highbury is one of the most infamous moments in Premier League history. It's been 18 years since the two iconic captains clashed in north London, and now, former Manchester United defender John O'Shea has now revealed why Gary Neville was especially 'clever' before it all kicked off.

The two titans of the English top-flight dominated domestic football in the early 2000s, with each team lifting the prestigious silverware twice between the 2000/01 season and 2003/04. There had been some memorable clashes between the pair in that time too, most notably the 'Battle of Old Trafford', where despite ending in a 0-0 draw, both sets of players were frequently involved in altercations.

That was just one instance where things became especially heated between the two clubs, with there being countless other occasions. But things really stepped up a notch off the field in February 2005.

Keane and Vieira's fight in the Highbury tunnel

Man Utd beat Arsenal 4-2 on the day

The Red Devils travelled to north London, hoping to take points off their Premier League title rivals. And while the game itself was a brilliant watch, it's intensity owed alot to the scuffle that broke out before the teams graced the pitch.

TV cameras in the tunnel at Highbury captured both sets of players going at it, with Keane and Vieira at the heart of it all. The issue was the treatment of right-back Neville by the Arsenal icon, who revealed in 2017 that they targeted him because of his tackles on Antonio Reyes in the previous meeting between the two sides. Vieira held a grudge about after that game, and confronted the right-back about his challenges in February of the following year.

Keane then stated in his book, The Second Half, that he felt Vieira was bullying Neville, which led to the explosion in the tunnel and him telling the Arsenal man, "We'll see out there!" His reaction to his long-time rival certainly seemed to fire up United, who won the tie 4-2 on the day.

Vieira himself opened the scoring, before an own goal from Ashley Cole levelled the tie. Dennis Bergkamp restored the Gunners' one-goal lead before half-time, but a four-minute brace from Cristiano Ronaldo flipped the game on it's head. O'Shea, brought on as a substitute after Mikael Silvestre was shown a red card, then added a fourth in the 88th minute. But despite all the drama on the pitch, all the headlines, unsurprisingly, were about what happened before a ball was kicked.

O'Shea reveals Neville's role in bust-up

Now, 18 years on from the feisty confrontation, goalscorer O'Shea has given his view on the incident. The former defender, speaking to Off The Ball, hailed Neville's reaction to being confronted by Vieira before the game as "clever".

Reflecting on the game as a whole, the Irishman revealed that the United right-back had told his teammates about Vieira's comments, revealing that the Frenchman had pinned him up inside the tunnel. Everyone immediately checked up on Neville, but not Keane. The midfielder was simply silent, and most likely boiling with rage.

Watch: O'Shea on how Neville instigated Highbury bust-up

Very, very cheeky from Neville. He had revealed part of that story while recalling the incident alongside Vieira and Keane on ITV, but did not mention getting pinned against the wall in that interview.

That was just one of 12 times Vieira and Keane played each other in the league, with the United man securing one more victory over his rival over the years. And while fans will no doubt remember many eventful encounters between the pair, there were none quite as memorable as this one.