Soccer star swung a punch, narrowly missing frightened teenager’s face, court hears

MANCHESTER United captain Roy Keane grabbed a frightened teenager around the neck while shouting in his face after the youngster insulted him, a court yesterday heard.

The Irish international also swung a punch at the 16-year-old, his fist stopping just before the youth’s face, the court heard. The two had clashed after the young student had been riding his moped with a friend near Keane’s €2 million mansion in Hale, Greater Manchester.

Keane had been walking his dogs near his home when the boy sounded his horn to acknowledge the star, Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

As the teenager and his friend passed, Keane swung out with his walking stick.

The teenager drove past and turned round to make an obscene gesture.

A few weeks later the boy was on his moped with a friend, visiting a house across the road from Keane’s home, the court heard.

Keane was in his garden but approached the pair.

The court was shown a video of an interview the youngster gave to police after the second incident.

The boy told police he was sitting on his bike when he saw Keane walking towards him.

“I felt a bit like, ‘God, what’s going to happen now’, the boy told officers. “Then he said, ‘Did you call me a w**ker? Why did you do that?”’ The boy said he replied: “Because you nearly hit me; you swung for me with your walking stick. He walked up to me and I’m not sure what he said next; he was being a bit aggressive.

“The next thing he did was swing at my face with his right fist. He said, ‘That’s nearly hitting you’. I flinched backwards.”

The teen told court he had exaggerated his claims in an interview with the Sunday World newspaper.

Keane denies a charge of criminal damage after snapping the youngster’s chain.

He also denies assault and a public order offence on September 4. The trial is expected to last two days.