“I find it kind of hard to praise them too much but that’s just a personal thing.”
Roy Keane, Thierry Henry and Kenny Dalglish took part in an interesting discussion last season, looking back at the first 25 years of the Premier League.
The trio spoke about their experiences in the division, including the rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal, and when Keane rejected Dalglish’s Blackburn Rovers to join United.
The topic of Chelsea also came up, and it’s fair to say the former United captain isn’t a fan of the London club. Chelsea had been a top-six side from the late 1990s into the early 2000s, winning several cup competitions along the way.
Their fortunes changed overnight when Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003. They were transformed into one of the league’s big clubs, splashing money on numerous high profile signings, before winning back to back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.
However, their success appears to have left Keane feeling somewhat uneasy.
“The owner, clearly, was going to throw money at it,” the Irishman said.
“Listen, they’ve thrown hundreds of millions at it and will probably continue to do so and that’s what makes them a decent team… I remember growing up watching Liverpool in the 80s. Brilliant. We’d respect for Arsenal. I’ve always found it hard to kind of like Chelsea even though. I’m still reluctant – the way they’ve done it. Whatever way they’ve done it, I find it kind of hard to praise them too much but that’s just a personal thing.”
This isn’t the first time Keane has expressed disdain for Chelsea. According to former United striker Diego Forlan, Keane told him:
“Chelsea are a small club, nothing like as big as Liverpool or Arsenal.”
You can watch Keane, Henry and Dalglish discuss Chelsea here:
