A thread detailing just how crazy Roy Keane was in his football career is so wild it’s gone viral.
Roy Keane was a fantastic player.
The Irishman had great success at Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Celtic during an illustrious playing career.
He went on to coaching and had some success as a manager with Sunderland and Ipswich, before becoming an assistant manager.
While Keane was a superb player who established himself as one of the best midfielders of his generation, he was also highly controversial.
Keane hit the headlines for the wrong reasons various times during his career in football.
A thread has now emerged which details just how crazy he was during his time in the sport.
The thread, posted by popular Twitter account @UpshotTowers, mainly features controversial moments from his playing career and his time in coaching.
The thread starts: “Everyone knows Roy Keane is a mad b******. The United legend humiliated teammates, knocked out opponents and scrapped with his own manager. But that’s not the half of it.
“From drunken headbutts to kung fu kicks in the dressing room, this is his story…”
It has gone viral, picking up over 2.6k retweets and 21k ‘likes’ at the time of writing. View it below…
Roy Keane’s wild career in football summarised in viral thread
Keane’s story in professional football started in 1990 when he made his debut for Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough. He was hungover but still played well.
Keane becomes one of Clough’s favourites, but the gaffer is hard on him too.
When his error costs Forest a goal, Clough jumps out from behind the dressing room door and smacks Keane in the face.
“Don’t pass the ball back to my goalkeeper, young man”, he yells. pic.twitter.com/jtDLhdQYg7
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Keane soon developed a terrifying reputation. He angered Kenny Dalglish by rejecting Blackburn at the last minute and moving to United.
Two years into his United career, he stamped on Gareth Southgate in a match against Aston Villa.
It wasn’t just his opponents that Keane didn’t get along with. He punched Peter Schmeichel after a dispute during their pre-season tour of Hong Kong.
Not even his own teammates are safe.
After years of tension with Peter Schmeichel, the pair get into a drunken row at 2am during a pre-season tour of Hong Kong.
The scrap wakes club legend Bobby Charlton, who staggers out of his room just in time to see Roy headbutt Schmeichel. pic.twitter.com/JOGFTt9P7U
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Keane even hit out at his own fans in a sensational rant in 2000.
After United win the treble, Keane complains Old Trafford is overrun by “clueless glory hunters” with “pointless lives”.
He brands them the “prawn sandwich brigade” and rages:
“I don’t think they can spell football, never mind understand it.” pic.twitter.com/XOvGlF0Pey
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Roy Keane suffered a serious injury in a match between Leeds and Man Utd in 1997. Alfie Haaland, father of Erling, screamed at Keane while he was in agony on the floor.
Four years later Keane got his revenge with a horror challenge. He showed no remorse whatsoever.
In 2001, Roy takes revenge on Leeds midfielder Alfie Haaland for a foul 4 years earlier.
“I’d waited long enough. I fucking hit him hard,” he recalls later.
Haaland recovers to finish the game but Keane is wrongly blamed for ending his career. pic.twitter.com/LLLnxbniJ4
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Keane helped Ireland qualify for the 2002 World Cup. But he was sent home before the tournament in Japan/South Korea began after clashing with Mick McCarthy.
And in 2005, its his United teammates who get both barrels.
In a shocking interview, he says of Rio Ferdinand: “Just because you are paid £120,000 a week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham you think you are a superstar.”
A furious Alex Ferguson rips up his contract. pic.twitter.com/0fX04RTuOZ
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Keane took the same no-nonsense approach as a manager. He was brutally honest with his Sunderland side, that he managed from 2006-2008.
When 3 players are a minute late for the team bus to an away fixture, he simply leaves them behind.
And before another game he tells them: ”Listen lads. You’re shit. Try and enjoy the game. You’re probably going to get beat. But just enjoy being shit.”
They lose. pic.twitter.com/si6ZSnqFBf
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Keane refused to sign Robbie Savage after listening to his voicemail, while he raged at a journalist after their phone rang during a press-conference at Ipswich.
He’s equally unimpressed with a journalist whose phone keeps ringing during one of his press conferences.
And despite guiding Sunderland to the Premier League, things are starting to go wrong on the pitch… pic.twitter.com/skeNirs8FZ
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Things quickly turned sour at Ipswich and he resigned.
He then became assistant manager of Ireland and he continued to berate his players.
In 2013, he becomes assistant manager of Ireland.
But the squad don’t warm to him.
One day he storms into the treatment room and screams at the injured players:
“You’re fucking pricks, you’re cunts, you don’t even care, you don’t wanna train!” pic.twitter.com/Wyfwmrt8yt
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Now a pundit, Keane has calmed down somewhat.
But he still isn’t afraid to slam players and go on savage rants from time-to-time.
These days Keane is confined to the padded walls of the Sky Sports studio, where his rants have become the stuff of legend.
When England pick an unfit Jordan Henderson because he’s “good around the camp”, Roy is disgusted.
“Does he do card tricks? Does he have a sing song?” pic.twitter.com/q5Lxywqy82
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) May 11, 2023
Keane’s career in football really has been wild.