A colossus of a man.
I remember when Roy Keane signed for Manchester United and feeling that it was a great signing. We had all witnessed this upstart from Cork in his debut full season, signed by the legendary Brian Clough, from Cobh Ramblers for Nottingham Forest, snarling around England snapping into tackles and showing greater energy reserves than the national grid.
We had all witnessed this upstart from Cork in his debut full season, signed by the legendary Brian Clough, from Cobh Ramblers for Nottingham Forest, snarling around England snapping into tackles and showing greater energy reserves than the national grid.
United had just become champions for the first time since 1967 and a new dynasty was being formed under the stewardship of Alex Ferguson.
Forest had been relegated and everyone thought Roy Keane was off to a cash-rich Blackburn Rovers. At the 11th hour, Keane had a change of heart and ended up at Old Trafford.
He went on to make 326 appearances for United scoring 33 goals over a 12 year period which coincided with the most successful period in the history of the club.
There were big personalities at United in the form of Eric Cantona, Steve Bruce, Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and an ageing Bryan Robson so for any mere mortals, the transition into that side would’ve been daunting. But Roy Keane quickly became a vital cog in the United midfield as they stormed to a league and cup double in his first season.
He scored on his home debut for the club against Sheffield United, not once, but twice to endear himself to the Stretford End straight away and capped a memorable win for United in his first derby against City, grabbing the winner in a 3-2 win after United had been two goals down at half-time.
Keane, in his first seasons, was the quintessential box-to-box midfielder. He’d be the man to chase down an opposing player, win the ball, lay it off and then be the man hurtling towards the opposition box to get on the end of the ball he had won in the first place.
He was relentless. All action and all impact. He always played on the edge and quite often was on the receiving end of red cards.
After the devastation of a cruciate injury, he was out for nine months and reinvented himself as a player upon his return.
He wasn’t as mobile as he once was so the box-to-box stuff reduced significantly, with Keane adopting a more holding role. He’d set the tempo for United, collecting the ball from the back four and then probing mercilessly for an opening and just keeping the team ticking along.
Roy Keane is always viewed as this aggressive player and yes he was aggressive, but to say only that would be a huge disservice to the former Cobh Ramblers man. His passing was invariably pinpoint and he rarely, if ever, lost the ball.
He chipped in with a few goals, important ones too, like his famous strike in Turin against Juventus in the 1999 Champions League semi-final where he almost single-handedly dragged United into the final with one of the greatest ever midfield performances.
This was a night where he absolutely bullied and bossed the likes of Zidane and Davids, playing like a man possessed, leading by example as always. He was adored by the Old Trafford faithful and for good reason. Never allowing himself or his team-mates dip below the standards expected of Manchester United players.
You were just as likely to be on the end of a tongue-lashing from Keane as you were from one of his laser-like precision passes. He became almost impossible for United to replace.
When Keane played, United had an aura about them, an invincible teak-tough aura, but when he was out, United looked that bit more vulnerable and opposition teams sensed it.
People argue that Eric Cantona was Ferguson’s greatest ever signing. I beg to differ.
Roy Keane was the best signing Ferguson and indeed Manchester United have ever made, hands down.
