Carrying on from his no-nonsense reputation as a player, Roy Keane rarely feels sorry for anybody on the pitch now that he’s a pundit.
Never caught on the fence, Keane is not afraid of delivering unpopular opinions which might make him come across as harsh.
Whether it’s suggesting that players who are afraid of picking up injuries should take up chess after Kevin Doyle retired due to concerns about concussions or giving no leeway to Robbie Keane after he and his wife welcomed a baby boy in 2015, Keano doesn’t tend to mince his words.
On Wednesday night, the Republic of Ireland assistant manager was on punditry duty for ITV as former side Manchester United claimed all three points against Benfica in Portugal.
United benefitted from some quick thinking from Marcus Rashford and atrocious positional awareness from Benfica goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who accidentally allowed a free kick to carry across the line whilst in his hands.
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The goal after an hour was enough to give the victory to Jose Mourinho’s side and, after the game, United’s players were applauded for approaching Svilar, 18, and offering him words of consolation.
And, surprisingly, Keane had nothing but sympathy for the goalkeeper and praise for the United players.
“Your heart goes out to the young goalkeeper,” Keane said.
“All young ‘keepers make mistakes and it is how they react that will decide what kind of future they will have.
“I feel sorry for him.
“It was really nice to see after the game, lovely touches from the United players. He is learning his trade and sometimes you have to learn the hard way by making mistakes.”
And while some analysts picked holes in the Red Devils’ performance, Keane would not be coaxed into ridiculing his former club which is something he’s enjoyed doing since hanging up his boots.
“It will suit the United camp at the moment to let City get all the credit at the moment,” Keane added.
“United are in a sense under the radar, but they are getting results and clean sheets. That gives you the foundations to get trophies.”
