Former Liverpool star challenges Roy Keane to a fight to end feud and calls on Eddie Hearn to set it up

Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has challenged Manchester United legend Roy Keane to a fight in order to end their bitter feud - and called on boxing promoter Eddie Hearn to set it up.

McAteer and Keane have had a long-running feud dating back to their playing days together with the Republic of Ireland, between 1994 and 2004.

Their rivalry was recently reopened by Keane on an episode of The Overlap's Stick to Football, where the topic of conversation revolved around red cards.

During a Premier League game against Sunderland in 2002, Keane was sent off for elbowing McAteer. On the incident, he recalled: "I wouldn't go that far [that they were team-mates]. Absolutely not. Just because you play with someone doesn't mean you're mates.

"What used to get to me was players that shout their mouths off. I didn't mind lads kicking me or booting me, honestly.

"But McAteer, as usual, had plenty to say for himself.

"I didn't deserve to be sent off in that game. Absolutely not. If you look back at it, I didn't even catch him."

After Keane's comments on Stick to Football, McAteer took to X (Twitter) to write: "Players shouting their mouths off!!! Funny. You can't shut the clown up now.

"And no we weren't team-mates cause he never showed up, and when he did he went home!!! Please!!! Bore off."

Keane also did not mention the former Liverpool midfielder in his 2014 autobiography, 'The Second Half', which McAteer described as a 'moral victory'.

And McAteer once took aim at Irish journalist and TV presenter Eamon Dunphy, who co-wrote Keane's 2002 autobiography, saying he was 'full of s**t'.

His latest crusade towards Keane came when he appeared as a pundit for Republic of Ireland's 1-0 defeat to Netherlands on Saturday.

And he went one step further than his previous comments, jokingly called Keane out for a fight while reiterating his belief that Keane did indeed catch him with his elbow in 2002.

“He let Eamon Dunphy, of all people, write his book. Eamon Dunphy”

Jason McAteer on his long-running feud with Roy Keane

pic.twitter.com/UHWNtETKNF

— OurGame.ie (@OurGameHQ) November 18, 2023

He said: "Yeah [I'm tired of it]. I'd rather he came in here now, and we just go, let bygones be bygones. Let's just be civil.

"Or we can get in the ring for £1 million each and fight it out! Eddie [Hearn], if you're watching. Eddie Hearn, get him on the phone.

"Roy, come on. You're better than that. And I promise to stop reacting."