Roy Keane forced to follow four strict rules when out the house after threats sent to him and his family

Roy Keane once revealed how he was forced to follow four strict rules while out of the house after threats received by his family.

Keane, 53, has been married to wife Theresa for 27 years and the pair share five children together.

One of his daughters, Leah, is engaged to Southampton and England defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

The Irishman rarely speaks publicly about his family but the Manchester United legend did state in 2013 that his son, Aidan, was an Arsenal fan, telling Today FM: "Hopefully when he grows up and gets a bit of sense, that will change."

But throughout his career as a high-profile footballer and then as a football manager and pundit, Keane has received threats to both his and his family's safety.

During an interview in 2021 with Irish outlet RSVP Live, he explained: "The police got in touch and said there was one venue I should not do. They'd got a coded message with a death threat that they were taking seriously.

"Much more recently, when I was assistant to Martin O'Neill and away with the Ireland team, the Manchester police turned up at my home and told Theresa and the kids that they'd received a threat to the family's safety. They called me and said they were taking it very seriously."

Keane, his wife and his children were all told to change their routines - and Keane revealed that he would follow four strict rules while out of the house.

The first of those is that, if driving his car, he would plan ahead of time as to where he could safely park. If on a train, he would ensure to book off-peak and sit in a window seat.

Roy Keane pictured outside Manchester City's Etihad Stadium (Image: Getty)

He would also choose a specific time to book a table for while eating out, and would face away from the crowd, and take a mask and cap with him when he left the house.

Keane explained: "Go anywhere with me, my kids dread it. Because if we go anywhere, on a city break, I do not stop trying to stay out of people's way.

"Theresa and the kids get it. They get the game. If there's an incident like the thing outside Old Trafford [a violent protest before a game against Liverpool in 2021], it's not even mentioned at home. Water off a duck's back.

"No matter where we go, I plan everything. I should have been in the f***ing military."