Who is Man United legend Roy Keane?
Roy Maurice Keane, who was born on 10 August 1971 in Cork, is an Irish former professional footballer. Keane played as a midfielder for the English club Man United.
In his 18-year playing career, Roy played for Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest, and Man United before ending his career at Celtic.
Keane was a dominating box-to-box midfielder, noted for his aggressive and highly competitive style of play, an attitude that helped the midfielder excel as captain of the Red Devils from 1997 until his departure in 2005.
Roya helped Man United achieve a sustained period of success during his 12 years at Old Trafford. Keane then signed for Celtic, where the midfielder won a domestic double before he retired as a footballer in 2006.
Roy was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021, according to a report. Keane is the joint most successful Irish player of all time, having won 19 major titles in his club career, 17 of which came during his time at Theatre of Dreams.
Regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, Keane was named by Pele in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living footballers in 2004.
Roy Keane’s international career
Roy was included in the Republic of Ireland senior team for the 1994 Mundial in America and played in every match, including a famous 1–0 win against competition favourites and eventual runners-up Italy.
Despite a second-round exit at the hands of the Netherlands, the competition was considered a success for the Irish squad, and Roy was named the best footballer of Ireland’s campaign.
Roy missed crucial games during the 1998 Mundial due to a severe knee injury but returned captain the national team to within a whisker of qualification for UEFA Euro 2000, losing to Turkey in a play-off.
Ireland secured qualification for the 2002 Mundial under new coach Mick McCarthy, greatly assisted by several match-winning displays from Roy.
In the qualification process, Ireland went undefeated, both home and away, with international football heavyweights Portugal and the Netherlands famously beating the latter 1–0 at Lansdowne Road.
Roy was involved in further controversy in the wake of Ireland’s defeat by Les Bleus in the qualification 2010 Mundial play-off.
During an Ipswich Town press conference on 20 November 2009, Roy was critical of the Irish reaction to the Thierry Henry handball incident. His response included criticisms of the Irish national team’s back-line and the FAI authorities.
