Roy Keane called Premier League hardman a 'snake in the grass' after Man Utd battles

Roy Keane believes one of his midfield opponents was a 'snake in the grass' despite being known as a Premier League hardman.

The former Manchester United captain went to war with some of English football's most ruthless tacklers in the middle of the park.

Keane picked up a whopping 13 red cards in his career, which caught the Irishman by surprise. You'll not be shocked to hear he thought he got less and deserved less.

During an episode of The Overlap's Stick To Football podcast brought to you by Sky Bet hosts Gary Neville, Jill Scott and Ian Wright decided to dive into Keane's discipline record.

Keane's battles with ex-Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira are legendary. Both men loved playing against one another as the two sides battled for Premier League supremacy in the early 2000s. We all know about that tunnel altercation at Highbury.

Neville asked Keane for his opinion on Dennis Wise, who played over 300 games for Chelsea and won the FA Cup twice.

He and Keane also faced off in the 2004 FA Cup final when Wise played for Millwall, which United won comfortably. Images of Keane laughing at Wise during the game have even emerged online.

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Keane delved into the tactics Wise used on the pitch, all away from the eyes of the referee.

The 52-year-old explained: "I think he [Wise] used to get away with it a lot because he was sneaky. He was a snake in the grass, he used to pinch people."

Wise wound United players up in the 2000 Community Shield, which Chelsea won 2-0.

He reportedly plucked a hair out of Nicky Butt's leg before telling his foe: "I hope I didn't hurt you too much."

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When previously discussing Wise's antics, Neville joked: "Dennis Wise was unbelievable with what he used to get away with. He’d gouge your eyes out, Dennis Wise!"

He's a Chelsea legend for a reason. Wise is currently president of Serie B outfit Como.