Police probe Roy Keane road rage claims

Police in Manchester are investigating an alleged road rage incident involving assistant Republic of Ireland manager Roy Keane, after a taxi driver claimed he told the former Manchester United captain to "smile".

It is claimed that Keane followed the taxi to a set of traffic lights, got out of his vehicle, and shouted and gesticulated at the driver following an earlier encounter.

Fateh Kerar, aged 44, alleged that he drew Keane’s ire after he met the Corkman on the street in Hale, a village near Manchester, while waiting for a customer at a cash machine.

“We were both saying ‘that’s Roy Keane’ but he was just glaring back at us, looking really angry. I said ‘hello’ to him, then said ‘smile’,” Mr Kerar told Manchester Evening News.

“He drove behind us going into Altrincham and as we got to the traffic lights, he stopped beside us and turned to us still looking really angry.

“He got out of his car in the middle of the road, held two fingers up, and walked out in front of me.

“He was pointing and swearing and being very aggressive.

“He shouldn’t be allowed to treat people that way. There were lots of people stood around who couldn’t believe what they were seeing.”

Passenger Hothan Isman, told the same newspaper that Keane, 43, “was staring aggressively at the driver”.

“I was saying ‘wow, he’s really staring at you’,” said Ms Isman. “He would turn away then turn back and keep staring.

“When we got to the traffic lights he turned and stopped the car. He got out and was gesticulating with his arms and shouting furiously.

“The driver looked terrified and was shaking quite badly. I said he should call the police because it was very nasty, unpleasant, aggressive behaviour.”

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “At 11.30am, police were called to Ashley Road, Altrincham, to a report that a man had behaved aggressively towards another man.

“An investigation is under way to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.”