As a footballer Roy Keane was well known for never backing down from a challenge and as a tv pundit he is well known for going in just as hard as those who he's speaking about. So it's quite a surprise to find out how much he liked Cristiano Ronaldo straight away.
They don't make midfielders in the mould of Roy Keane anymore, those who were on the end of some of Keane's nastier challenges over the years will no doubt be quite jealous of that.
The Irishman was best known for his battles with Patrick Vieira, back when pizza was the weapon and Arsenal were the opponents in Manchester United's fights, none of this water bottle nonsense.
Nothing better than when these two clashed, the teams and the players. Image: PA Images.
Advert
And as a pundit Keane doesn't miss a beat either, recently saying that he wouldn't watch Liverpool play through his curtain if their match was being played in his back garden.
Republic of Ireland's assistant manager doesn't come across as the kind of person who would get on with the flashier Cristiano Ronaldo, especially the teenage version, but writing in his autobiography The Second Half in 2014 he revealed what he thought of Ronaldo in his first week at Old Trafford, writing:
"I liked Ronaldo straight away. He had a nice presence about him and a good attitude. After watching him train for a few days I thought: 'This lad is going to be one of the best players in the world.'
"He was seventeen, but he was immediately one of the hardest working players at United. He was good looking and he knew it. Looking at some of the other players in front of the mirror I would think: 'You f------ nugget'. But Ronaldo had an innocence to him and a niceness."
Ronaldo was a much different player when he moved from Sporting in 2003. Image: PA Images.
Advert
Keane's prediction ended up being a bit of an understatement, quite incredible considering, as Ronaldo ended up being one of the best players in the history of football and has so far won five Ballon d'Ors.
United, and Sir Alex Ferguson, was persuaded to make a move for the Portuguese winger after a now infamous friendly between the Red Devils and Sporting in Portugal in pre-season before they made a move for him.
In 2009 he became the most expensive player in the world when he moved to Real Madrid. Keane on the other hand was out of Old Trafford in 2005 and moved to Celtic before retiring.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane