Roy Keane Only Ever Asked One Player To Swap Shirts After A Game

Roy Keane is not a fan of swapping shirts and regrets the one instance he did ask an opposition player to trade jerseys.

The no-nonsense Irishman was never overawed by any player he came up against and memorably snubbed Ronaldo Nazario in the pre-match handshakes when he flat out refused to wait for the Brazilian as he messed with his socks.

It didn't matter how big a star you were, Keane was not interested in the slightest.

In 1994 ahead of the World Cup in the USA, Ireland beat Germany in a warm-up fixture and Keane reluctantly asked the legend Matthias Sammer for his shirt.

He claims he did it out of politeness more than anything but the 1996 Ballon d'Or winner refused the offer, much to Keane's anger.

Image: PA

"I've asked one player to swap a jersey, which I regret," Keane said in a must-watch episode of Gary Neville's The Overlap podcast.

"We played Germany with Ireland, pre World Cup 94 in a friendly. It was after the game, and we beat them to be fair.

"He was walking off and I was only being polite. It was the sweeper, [Matthias] Sammer, and he said no. I went 'ya fucking prick' anyway.

"That was it. I just thought 'I shouldn't be asking anybody'. I was only being polite, it's not that I wanted his jersey."

Keane also revealed he was tempted to try and swap shirts with Real Madrid and France icon Zinedine Zidane, who the former Manchester United captain named as his toughest opponent.

Image: PA

Still, he ultimately decided against it.

"If I really wanted to swap with someone it probably would have been [Zinedine] Zidane or somebody," Keane added.

"After that I thought it was stupid swapping jerseys really.

With Zidane, I remember we played him with United and obviously he's a brilliant player. After the Madrid game we were walking up, I was looking at him and he was looking at me.

"I was thinking 'he might ask me', he didn't and I'm glad. That's the only other time I thought 'will I, won't I' and I just thought no leave it."

Topics: Roy Keane, Football, Manchester United

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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