Sir Alex Ferguson's olive branch to Roy Keane after barely speaking for 20 years sums their relationship up
Sir Alex Ferguson may have finally offered Roy Keane a chance to rekindle their relationship after two decades of silence.
As two of the most vocal and strong-minded figures in Manchester United's history, it's perhaps not a big surprise that Ferguson and Keane still don't really get along.
Keane was Ferguson's captain for most of their time together at United, but their relationship fell apart after the Irishman was accused of betraying his teammates in a now infamous MUTV rant following United's 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough in 2005.
Since then, the pair have hardly spoken to each other, with Keane suggesting he may never forgive Ferguson for what happened at launch of his autobiography in 2014.
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But, in one of his own books, Ferguson appeared to suggest that it still remains possible for the pair to repair their relationship.
Sir Alex Ferguson suggests Roy Keane relationship could be mended
Last year, Ferguson released his seventh book, titled “Games of My Life”.
In the book, the United legend reflects on the 21 matches during his career that have meant the most to him, including United’s incredible comeback against Juventus in the 1999 Champions League.
Keane played a vital role in United's performance in the comeback and, despite their tarnished relationship, Ferguson was clearly happy to sing the praises of his former player, perhaps suggesting that their relationship isn't quite as bitter as it once was.
He said: “I know Roy isn’t an attention-seeker and shrugs off the praise that others heap on him.
“He poured every ounce of his being into that game. It was his greatest night in red.
“For as long as tales are told about the exploits of United, Roy’s performance amid the smoke flares and drumming of the Stadio Delle Alpi is one that will stay with me for ever and deserves to be passed down through the generations.”
Of course, regardless of how Ferguson feels about United's ex-captain, it's abundantly clear that in order to repair their relationship, the Scotsman would have to apologise to Keane for all that happened.
Would Roy Keane actually forgive Sir Alex Ferguson?
Even if Ferguson were to apologise, it would also take Keane accepting the apology for them to be able to work towards putting the past behind them.
And whether or not Keane would do this remains up for debate.
In 2019, speaking at an Off the Ball event, he appeared to immediately shut down any possibility of accepting an apology, simply stating: "I don't forgive Alex Ferguson,"
"I think when he apologises I will probably say hello to him," he added.
"I've no interest in speaking to the man."
However, seven years later it seems Keane may have mellowed a bit as he admitted he wasn't going to hold a grudge while naming Ferguson as one of the most influential people in his career.
“Obviously a manager I spent most of my time with, Alex Ferguson. Obviously still disappointed the way he treated me in the end, but that’s life. I’m not one to hold grudges," Keane told ITV.
With that in mind, maybe we could see the pair reunite in the near future and we could finally learn all the details of what led to their decades-long fallout once and for all.
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Topics: Sir Alex Ferguson, Roy Keane, Man Utd
Ben McCrum
