Man United tease Roy Keane’s involvement in new kit launch

Patrick McCarry

The promo video looks like it was shot earlier this summer, given Keane’s beard length [detective work going on here!].

The thaw between Roy Keane and Manchester United is set to continue as the club’s former captain has been drafted in for a kit launch, filmed at Old Trafford.

The Cork native held a degree of resentment over the way the club, following the lead of then manager Alex Ferguson, cut ties with him early in the 2005/06 season. Keane had been critical of several players during a bit of punditry for the club’s in-house MUTV channel, serving as the final straw between the captain and the manager.

Keane ended up moving on to Celtic before retiring from all football at the end of that season. While he still refers to Ferguson simply as ‘the manager’, the 51-year-old has started to show up around Old Trafford a lot more, as a Sky Sports pundit and a spectator.

Last season, we saw Sky Sports do a lot more of their match coverage pieces down beside the Old Trafford pitch, leading to players such as Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford, at separate moments, coming over to greet the United legend.

Now, ahead of the third kit launch, United look to have gently coaxed Keane along for a spot of modelling. The club, like most other top level sides, now release new jerseys for home, away and alternate, every 12 months.

You've waited this long.

Tomorrow, 08.08.23.#MUFC || @adidasFootball pic.twitter.com/pU6D38VkIb

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 7, 2023

This is the jersey that Roy Keane has been drafted in to help promote:

Roy Keane warns Arsenal ‘close is not good enough’

During his punditry spot at Wembley for the Community Shield, on Sunday, Roy Keane told ITV viewers that Arsenal talk of challenging Manchester City again needs to be backed up on the pitch.

“A lot of people talk a good game and where they need to improve, but the proof is in the pudding,” Keane.

“They got themselves into a decent position last year, but they came up short physically and mentally, strength in depth.

“When the going gets tough, we will see if they are in the same position and if they can learn from it. The next step for Arsenal is to [win the Premier League], that’s the biggest step, getting yourself into the top-four is fine like [Manchester] United last year, there was going to be an improvement. But if you talk about winning league titles, that’s always going to be the hardest one. Close is not good enough.”