Roy Keane Names Two Manchester United Legends He Never Warmed To At Old Trafford

Roy Keane has admitted that he never warmed to Manchester United legends Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand and never understood their “banter.”

The United legend enjoyed an illustrious playing career at Old Trafford and lifted seven Premier League titles, a Champions League and four FA Cups.

Keane’s time at United came to an untimely end in 2005 after his relationship with Red Devils icon Sir Alex Ferguson began to unravel.

The Irishman’s explosive rant during his infamous MUTV appearance contributed to his exit, with Keane targeting Ferdinand among the several stars he called out.

Keane admitted that he didn’t see eye to eye with Rooney off the field, but he insisted that he had a “lot of respect” for him and praised him as a “brilliant player.”

The Sky Sports pundit didn’t shy away from showing his true feelings towards Rooney after United’s record scorer changed the channel to put on The X Factor.

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Speaking to Sky Sports’ The Football Show, Keane said: “We certainly didn’t have an argument, let me tell you.

PA

“I like my rugby league and yeah, someone did change the channel and I wasn’t happy.

“But we didn’t have an argument about it. I came down for breakfast the next day and Wayne said, ‘Did you find the control?’

“So, I told him where to go. If that’s an argument, God help us. I certainly didn’t respect Wayne because he stood up to me and wanted to watch the X Factor.

“I had a lot of respect for Wayne because I thought he was a brilliant player.

“I wouldn’t say I warmed to the guy, I certainly didn’t dislike him. But the lad’s on a different wavelength, different banter and if hiding the control was his type of banter then... not for me.”

PA

Keane, who went on to play for Celtic in a brief stint before his retirement, claimed that he didn’t connect with a lot of the United players coming into the club.

And the former United captain added that his stance towards Rooney and Ferdinand might have been a “personal thing.”

“Near the end, I remember thinking I don’t get some of the boys,” Keane continued.

“I don't get their banter or humour. I rarely had a conversation with anyone.

PA

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“When I left there were a lot of players I didn't miss. The game was changing and maybe I was a bit grumpy, a bit old school.

“I didn’t get Wayne or Rio, I didn’t get their banter or what they stood for sometimes. It was probably a personal thing.

“The game was changing and I had changed with it, but towards the end at United with the players coming through I didn’t always get them.

“Personality-wise they were not for me. Obviously, they were very good players and I was delighted to play with them but in terms of banter or having a cup of coffee with them? No, forget it.”

Topics: Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United, Premier League, England, Football

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

@AdnanRiaz9