Keane’s aura as strong as ever

THE presence of Roy Keane on the bench had the desired effect for manager Alex Ferguson against Panathinaikos.

“I wanted him there just in case the team or the fans needed a lift. That is what he can do. Irrespective of his injury, you know he would have found a way.”

Despite this latest eulogy, Ferguson refused to confirm whether Keane would be fit enough to face the Gunners, although few expect the 31-year-old to be anywhere but right in the heart of battle once Steve Bennett first blows his whistle.

By the player’s own admission, he is trying to play a smarter game now, as he comes to terms with the hip operation which could see him planted in a wheelchair before he is too long into his dotage.

“It doesn’t matter what the operation is, they all take their toll eventually and it was major surgery,” said Keane of the operation which kept him out for four months last season.

“I am having to do things slightly differently and concentrate a lot more on stretching before and after games, which is not something I have ever had to do before.

“Calling it a day with Ireland has also helped because I can now get the extra rest my body needs and physically I am feeling the benefit. Last week when all the internationals were on, I trained with the younger lads for some of the time, as well as going through my own routine, although I can’t say I missed anyone.”

The last comment may have been somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but there is also a truth to his words. No longer the party animal, aside from the family to which he is devoted, Keane’s entire focus is on football and winning.

His blinkered drive and determination is almost scary, but it mirrors that of his manager, which is why Ferguson felt it necessary to use his captain as a Champions League safety net this week. The pair have a bond which is almost unbreakable.

Even among the glittering stars which have shone in the Old Trafford dressing room over the past 17 years, the Celtic cousins have a unique relationship.

“You have to keep looking forward, keep looking ahead and looking to improve,” he said.

“That is what we do individually as players and what the manager tries to do by bringing new players into the club.”

When Ferguson’s new signings initially joined the club, few United fans could have put faces to names. They can now, although typically, while the world is going mad over Ronaldo mark II, Keane is urging people to take a step back. Don’t judge the Portuguese wonder boy on one game, one month or even one season, he observes.

“Give him two seasons and then assess him,” he said. “All the new signings have done well, but English football is not easy to adapt to and there are bound to be highs and lows. The media and the fans get carried away by one or two performances but we have to be more detached than that.

“The manager has been through all this before and he knows when to put players in and when to pull them out again. We have to be patient and it will only be well into the future when you can judge whether they have been a success or not.”

The new-look Red Devils will silence any remaining doubters if they beat Arsenal, a clash which, given past history needs no-one to hype it up.

“I still have the same insatiable desire,” Keane said. “You have to look forward, keep looking ahead, looking to improve.

“As a club and an individual, every year is a big challenge, maybe more so this time than ever before.

“When I first came back after the hip operation, my performances were nowhere near acceptable and I’m not prepared to accept that again.”