Roy Keane has delivered some jaw-dropping moments, particularly against Arsenal, so few would have anticipated this.
The legendary former Manchester United captain was seen wearing a 1990s Arsenal shirt in the company of Gunners hero Ian Wright, who joked it suited his friend and colleague.
He did, though, anticipate that the Old Trafford faithful may not agree with him.
“Man United fans are gonna do their nut,” he joked. The reason for Keane’s new wardrobe is yet to be made clear although it is most likely related to the work he does with Wright on the Stick to Football podcast with Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Gary Neville, who is also working with Keane and Wright for ITV at Euro 2024.
Neville and co. will be making an appearance on ITV on Friday night, which sees four episodes of their popular podcast released simultaneously focusing on Euro 2024.
During his playing career, Keane did not hide his disdain for Arsenal as they were the team that posed the biggest threat to United’s dominance of the 1990s and early 2000s.
“I had a lot of hatred for Arsenal because they were big rivals,” Keane told the ITV documentary ‘Keane & Vieira – Best of Enemies’ in 2013.
“I can’t think of any other word that springs to mind when I was going into battle with Arsenal. Hatred was the word.
“Usually when you play football one or two players you like but I don’t remember liking anybody at Arsenal.
“I never felt like that against any other team but Arsenal certainly brought out something different in me.”
Few will forget Keane’s fierce Highbury tunnel exchange with Patrick Vieira in February 2005 when the then Manchester United star took exception to what he described as Vieira ‘bullying’ teammate-turned colleague Neville.
Keane fired back at the Frenchman shouting ‘we’ll see out there’ at Vieira, before the Irishman was restrained by match referee Graham Poll who tried to calm him down.
However, with his playing days firmly behind him, it appears Keane could be softening his stance to the Gunners, something possibly brought on by his blossoming friendship with Wright.
Keane was also seen holding another Arsenal shirt with ‘Wright’ and his famous No.8 on the back of it.
The clip was shared on ITV Football’s Instagram page and filmed in Berlin, Germany where the pair are working as pundits for the channel’s Euro 2024 coverage.
The 52-year-old spent 12 trophy-laden years at Old Trafford before his exit in 2005 where he saw out his career at Celtic.
Wifely regarded as one of the best midfielders in his day, Keane declined opportunities to play abroad during his glittering career, something he regrets.
“I definitely should’ve gone abroad. I had opportunities to play abroad,” he told the Stick to Football podcast.
“I should’ve been brave enough to have gone over and played in Italy or Germany or Spain, and I had the opportunity.”
“Do you know, I always had a soft spot for Juventus,” Keane added. “And they offered me a deal but I remember the deal wasn’t, kind of… At the time thinking it wasn’t amazing, I was going for an amazing deal.
“The club that offered me the most amazing deal ever was Bayern Munich.
“And then when I left United I went up to Celtic and I could’ve gone to Real Madrid for a year and a half.”
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