Roy Keane News
Roy Keane takes Sunderland up
At the end of April 2007, it was confirmed that Sunderland, under Roy Keane, had secured automatic promotion to the Premiership. It was a remarkable achievement by Keane, who had inherited a dispirited out-of-form side.
Roy Keane to manage Sunderland (finally)
28 August 2006
Struggling Sunderland will be hoping that Roy Keane will be able to work some magic. Previously an inspirational leader on the pitch, Keane, who has over the years been on good and bad terms with Niall Quinn, has finally signed a three-year contract to manage Sunderland.
Leicester's Tony Loughlan also joins the coaching staff.
Roy Keane retires
12 June 2006
Roy Keane has retired from professional football because of a long-standing hip injury.
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said:
"Roy Keane is one of the greatest ever players to grace the game of football. It was fantastic that we were able to bring him to Celtic and it has been a privilege to work with him."
Keane joins Celtic
15 December 2005
After a long time deciding Roy Keane joined Celtic today on an 18 month contract. Roy Keane said: "I feel this is where I belong."
The Celtic FC site has an interesting news article with extensive quotes from Roy Keane.
Roy Keane in shock departure from Manchester United
18 November 2005
It has just been announced that Roy Keane has left Manchester United. It comes shortly after he slammed his colleagues on MUTV (see news report below).
Keane made a statement saying:
"It has been a great honour and privilege for me to play for Manchester United for over 12 years.
"During my time at the club I have been fortunate to play alongside some of the best players in the game and in front of the best supporters in the world.
"At all times I have endeavoured to do my best for the management and the team.
"Whilst it is a sad day for me to leave such a great club and Manager I believe that the time has now come for me to move on. After so many years, I will miss everyone at the club.
"I send my best wishes for the future to the management, players, staff and supporters of the club."
Roy Keane savages team mates
Roy Keane slammed his colleagues on MUTV. His comments were edited out before broadcast, but here is a taster:
Roy Keane on team mate Rio Ferdinand: "Just because you are paid £120,000 a week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar."
15 February 2005: Roy Keane delivers a subtle message
Roy Keane said yesterday that Sir Alex Ferguson will decide when Keane will retire. Keane signalled a change of mind about the timing of his retirement.
But the most important implication of his quote below is that Sir Alex Ferguson intends to stay on as manager of Manchester United for the forseeable future.
Here is what Roy Keane said:
"I said on Friday that I believed my current contract at United would be my last playing contract, but the manager pulled me aside on Saturday morning and said he will be the one deciding when I'm going to be retiring, so who knows when what will happen? If this time next year my body is holding up and my hip and knee are OK, and the manager and Carlos Queiroz feel I can contribute to the team, then who knows?"
Roy Keane added:
"When I finish it will have to be at United. I couldn't see myself playing anywhere else."
Keane also revealed that regular yoga had been responsible for his lack of injury problems this season.
11 February 2005: Roy Keane makes History
If Roy Keane wasn't one before, he's certainly a cultural icon now. Three significant events took place this week that coincided to confirm Roy Keane's place in history!
Starting with the least significant. Alex Ferguson asserted that Roy Keane would be one of the team's greatest players even in half a millenium's time. Manchester United's manager told MUTV: "No matter what happens in 30 years time or 500 years from now, he’ll be one of the greatest players of this club...He’s an incredible man, he really is."
Secondly, this week saw the launch of a musical, 'I, Keano'. In the musical an ancient federation sends its greatest warrior, Keano, to an island to prepare for a momentous war. The musical relates the conflict between Keane and McCarthy (Macartus in the musical) in Ireland's World Cup campaign.
Thirdly and most significantly, two days ago Roy Keane was the subject of questioning in the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman's (PMOS) afternoon briefing of lobby correspondents.
The official 10 Downing Street record runs:
"Referring back to his question at yesterday afternoon's lobby about footballers as role models, the Daily Express asked what the Prime Minister thought were the qualities seen in Roy Keane that made him a trusted figure, the PMOS said he had discussed many things with the Prime Minister, but never this issue. He would try in the future to do so, but he would not define that term given the journalist's interest!"
Tony Blair privately refers to Alastair Campbell as 'Keane-o', in reference to Roy Keane.
Earlier this week Campbell had accidentally sent an email to the wrong person on his Blackberry, and it was revealed that he told an advertsing agency to tell Newsnight to 'f*** off and cover something important you t***s!'
1 February 2005 Teddy Sheringham talking about Roy Keane on Sky Sports 1 said "Of all the great players, I've known at Manchester United, Roy Keane's the one that makes them tick." This confirms what Sheringham had to say of Roy Keane on 8 September 2004: "Probably the best player I've played with."
29 August 2004 According to Dennis Irwin on Sky Sports 1 today (Goals on Sunday), Roy Keane has been going for his training badges and has a B license and must be thinking of being a manager.
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