Keane aggression makes him a great player, says McClaren

By Simon Stone

ROY KEANE would only be half the player he is if the passion and aggression was taken out of his game. That is the view of Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren, who worked closely with the 31-year-old Manchester United skipper during his days as Ferguson’s right-hand man at Old Trafford.

McClaren is an unashamed admirer of the Corkman, and while not condoning his excesses, he insists Keane’s psychological make-up is an integral part of the way he plays his football and one of the reasons for his success over the years.

‘‘It’s a will to win,’’ McClaren said. “If you take that away from anybody, you’re taking away 50%. He can’t lose that. Why change that? He’s been like that all his career, that’s why Manchester United have been so successful.

‘‘You ask anybody in the Premier League, anybody in football, if they would like to have Roy Keane in their football team, and I would say 100% would say they would and I’m no different.

McClaren, who takes his Boro side to Old Trafford tonight, believes Keane’s refusal to accept defeat - a character trait he shares with his manager - has been instilled in his teammates, and that is why they consistently work their way through adversity.

‘‘No-one epitomises that more than Roy,’’ he said. ‘‘He’s a tremendous competitor, nothing fazes him, and he’s the same no matter what game he plays in.

Having worked so closely with Keane, McClaren knows exactly what makes him tick, and insists he is not the deeply complex character some commentators have portrayed.

‘‘He’s straight up and down,’’ he said. ‘‘I really enjoyed working with Roy. He’s a very, very good pro, works very hard, wants the best and will only accept the best. I couldn’t fault him in anything he did. He’s a tremendous leader on and off the field.’’

Boro midfielder George Boateng says he is looking forward to playing against Keane, despite all the furore surrounding the United skipper.

“He’s an adult, so he has to deal with his situation himself, but despite all his problems, I have to respect Roy Keane for what he does on the pitch.

“You’ll see he’ll probably be the best player on the pitch against us but I hope not as it’s our job to stop him.”

Meanwhile, the furore over Keane’s controversial book looks set to help make it the year’s sporting bestseller.

Already a second run of Keane’s book has been ordered in Cork. It sold out at Waterstone’s within days of going on sale. There has also been huge interest in the booksellers’ Dublin shops. About 2,000 copies have been snapped up.

Waterstones estimate they have sold 7,000 in the past week in Ireland and Britain. ‘‘The bulk of the sales have been in Dublin,’’ said Inga McVicar, marketing co-ordinator for Ireland.

In Manchester, Ian Dean, manager of Sports Pages said: ‘‘I would imagine it would be our biggest seller of the year. People want to read autobiographies which tell you something they don’t already know. Everyone knows Roy Keane is like that.”