A former Republic of Ireland international says he was "dead emotional" after Roy Keane ended their bitter 20-year feud with a touching gesture.
Jason McAteer, a former Liverpool and Blackburn midfielder who made 52 caps for his country between 1994 and 2004, engaged in a long-running feud with Keane that dated back to their playing days.
Back in 2002, when Keane left Ireland's training base ahead of the 2002 World Cup following an infamous row with Mick McCarthy, McAteer backed his manager instead of the then-Manchester United captain.
Keane also spoke about McAteer in his controversial 2002 autobiography, writing that he was "too fond of himself for my liking, more interested in hair gel and nightclubs than winning football matches".
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A few months later, Keane was sent off after landing an elbow on McAteer, who said he knew what "buttons to press" to wind up his international teammate. It worked.
The pair continued to exchange unpleasantries in the coming years. In fact, when speaking about the previously mentioned red card, Keane called out McAteer in a 2023 episode of The Overlap.
“Just because you play with someone doesn’t mean you’re mates," Keane said, referring to McAteer.
"He was one of these players who 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. But even then, I didn’t deserve to be sent off in that game, absolutely not."
Speaking to SPORTbible last year, McAteer revealed that their relationship was in a "better place" and referenced an "emotional" encounter.
"Something happened a few months ago that I was really emotional about," he said. "I found it really difficult to keep my emotions in check when we came together and something positive came out of it."
Now, the former Liverpool midfielder has revealed more details about that emotional meeting with Keane, and it makes for a great story.
"We didn’t speak for 20 years," McAteer began on YouTube channel Call Yourself a Fan. "We proper went backwards and forwards in the media. He’d hammer me, I’d hammer him and he’d give me some stick, I’d give him some stick.
"We had a fight. It was Sunderland vs Man United and he ended up getting sent off. His book had just come out as well. He hammered me in his book and gave me some on the pitch. I told him to shut up and I went like that [pretends to be writing] and said, ‘Put it in your book’.
"Minutes later he’s just gone bosh [pretends to elbow someone]. Uriah Rennie was standing right next to us. He’s a black belt in karate, so I knew I was safe. Roy got a red card and we didn’t speak for about 20 years.
"And then about six months ago, I was in a cafe where I live with my missus, and he was in there with his family. I was like, 'Oh god’... so I went round the corner and after about 20 minutes, he got off.
"Then I went to get the bill and the girl came over. She said, 'He’s paid your bill'."
"I got dead emotional," added McAteer. "I thought ’20 years I’ve wasted’ because he’s actually alright you know. So I rang Jamie Carragher up, I said can I have his number and he went ‘Listen, I better ask him’ so I said, ‘Alright, yeah’.
"About two hours later, Carra rang me back and said Roy accepts the thank you but he said you’re not having his f***ing phone number!"
Speaking to SPORTbible earlier this year, McAteer opened up on his relationship with Keane.
"I feel I do have a lot in common with him," he said. "We shared some really, really good times together. We shared some difficult times together. We shared a rivalry.
"I feel, on the football pitch, I totally understand where he comes from. He's a winner. I was a winner. We just did it in different ways.
"We shared a dressing room together. Some of my highlights of my career, qualifying for the World Cup. That took some doing. He was part of that. I hold him in such high esteem as a professional footballer, as an athlete."
McAteer added: "I'm glad our relationship is, let's just say it's in a better place than what it's been."
Topics: Roy Keane, Manchester United, Premier League
Jack Kenmare