• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Roy Keane's brutally honest answer when asked if he was the greatest Premier League 'hard man' of all time

Home> Football> Football News> Man Utd

Updated 14:54 6 Feb 2025 GMTPublished 14:50 6 Feb 2025 GMT

Roy Keane's brutally honest answer when asked if he was the greatest Premier League 'hard man' of all time

Keane had a fearsome reputation as captain of Manchester United.

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan

Roy Keane is seen by many as the ultimate Premier League 'hard man' after developing a fearsome reputation during his playing career.

Former Manchester United captain Keane was never one to back down from a confrontation and was involved in numerous fiery moments while leading his team.

From infamously snapping Alf-Inge Haaland with a horrific knee-high challenge during the Manchester derby to clashing with Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira in the Highbury tunnel, Keane took no prisoners.

Advert

But he didn't always come out on top, with Alan Shearer famously getting the better of the Irishman during a heated clash with Newcastle in 2001.

Despite that incident, Keane's name is often mentioned when discussing the hardest players in Premier League history.

But the man himself has previously talked down his suitability for that title, suggesting his warrior-like image was partly an act.

Speaking back in 2006 after he was announced as Sunderland manager, Keane said: "I haven't helped myself over the years with my image and that was part of the scene I had with Manchester United and Ireland.

"Maybe I was football mad. Maybe psycho is probably too strong a word, but football means a lot to me. It was like an acting job. I would drive up to Old Trafford for any game and I would turn into this mean machine.

Advert

"That's the way I felt - it was like going to war. That's the only way I could describe it, but then you go home to your family and try to switch off. My reputation didn't help with one or two sendings-off.

"Maybe that was just part of the picture I needed to paint for the opposition. Sometimes you can play with people's minds.

"That was part of my game. I was playing for the biggest club in the world, and had to lead by example and win at all costs."

Keane's fellow Sky pundit Micah Richards has previously mocked the United legend's 'hard man' reputation after working with the Irishman.

Advert

Keane is viewed as one of the toughest players in Premier League history (Image: Getty)
Keane is viewed as one of the toughest players in Premier League history (Image: Getty)

Speaking on the BBC's Match of the Day: Top Tens podcast, Richards jokingly tore into Keane for avoiding a confrontation with another notoriously tough player, Duncan Ferguson, during his playing career.

"I watched some videos because a couple of these are before my time and the reason why he slipped down to number five is because of Duncan Ferguson," Richards said.

"I was watching clips of Duncan and both Jaap Stam and Roy Keane walked away from a confrontation [with Ferguson].

Advert

"I was like, 'how hard are you really then?' Everyone did [walk away from Ferguson].

"He's the ultimate hard man because nobody wants smoke with him.

"Roy Keane let me down, to be honest, because everybody talks about him as a hard man!"

Featured Image Credit: Tommy Tiernan/YouTube & Getty

Topics: Roy Keane, Premier League, Manchester United

Rory O'Callaghan
Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

X

@rory_ocallaghan

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
3 hours ago
4 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    Cole Palmer linked with move that would break the world transfer record and rock football to its core

    Cole Palmer has been linked with a move away from Chelsea.

    Football
  • 3 hours ago

    PSG could let 11 players leave in brutal clearout after Club World Cup final defeat to Chelsea as top target revealed

    Paris Saint Germain were beaten by Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final.

    Football
  • 4 hours ago

    Liverpool targets Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike's records compared aged 23 and there's a clear winner

    Isak and Ekitike have both been linked with big-money moves to Liverpool this summer.

    Football
  • 5 hours ago

    Steven Gerrard names shock pick for Premier League's greatest midfielder as GOAT debate finally settled

    Steven Gerrard is one of the best midfielders in Premier League history.

    Football
  • Roy Keane gives brutally honest answer when asked if he still supports Manchester United
  • Roy Keane's former teammate opens up on 'confusing' incident which cost ex-Man Utd captain £12,000
  • Roy Keane was challenged to fight by former Premier League manager who claimed Man Utd legend 'is not as tough as he makes out'
  • Steven Gerrard names shock pick for Premier League's greatest midfielder as GOAT debate finally settled