“I’m not a dinosaur.”
Roy Keane is well known for having a bust-up or giving the hairdryer treatment in the dressing room when needed, but David Beckham never had to face that wrath.
That may surprise some given his lavish lifestyle back when the two were teammates at Manchester United, as Beckham’s celebrity status and outgoing fashion sense could not be more opposite to that of the Irishman.
Roy Keane on why he never fell out with David Beckham.
Keane was well known for believing that you shouldn’t have any distractions, and focus purely on the job at hand, which was winning trophies for United.
With this dynamic in place, it seemed inevitable that the two would clash. Yet, speaking on the latest episode of The Overlap’s Stick to Football, Keane explains why he never fell out with his famous friend.
“Only if a player didn’t back it up,” Keane said about why he fell out with players.
“Listen I’m not a dinosaur, we all worked with players who had a different taste and would spend their money.
“But it never bothered me, as long as they backed it up. My worry would always be for any player if they’re doing that, and if they’re spending their money.
“And again, good luck to them but then if they weren’t coming in training properly and that became the priority. That was always my worry.
“But I never found it with Becks. So that’s why we never fell out.”
The same can’t be said of the manager, Alex Ferguson, who had several issues with Beckham’s lifestyle, outfits and outrageous haircuts.
David Beckham on why Alex Ferguson didn’t like his haircuts.
Ferguson thought it was a distraction, but Beckham sides with Keane on the issue, claiming that his hairstyle is irrelevant if he was still performing on the pitch.
“I was just doing it because I wanted to do it. I suppose I knew that it was something the manager wouldn’t agree with.
“But, like Keaney said, as long as I’m turning up to training on time, training and playing at the weekend to the standards then it wouldn’t be a problem.
“But I think that’s what changed over the years. And then Cristiano came to the club, doing what he was doing on the pitch and off the pitch.
“And the gaffer had kind of softened at that point to a certain level, but, obviously, when I was doing it, it was a different time.”
Related links:
- Roy Keane has interesting take on David Beckham in new documentary
- Tom Cleverly explains “mouthful” of a text message Roy Keane sent him
- “I’d be ashamed of my life” – Roy Keane weighs in on Jadon Sancho saga
