Keane dives in on 'cheats'

ROY KEANE has called for the introduction of 'anti-diving' wristbands to eliminate the scourge of the modern game.

The Manchester United skipper was half joking as he made the remark but there is no doubt Keane is becoming increasingly irritated by the number of players collapsing to the ground under no, or minimal, contact.

He was a victim himself at Highbury earlier this month when he pulled out of a penalty-box tackle on Ashley Cole, only for the England defender to go down anyway, an incident that left Keane bemused.

"I wasn't quite sure what he was up to, If I had known, I might have reacted differently. Before the game there was all this stuff about anti-racism and anti-bullying. It would be a good idea to start wearing wristbands for anti-diving.

"It's not just about foreign players because Ashley Cole is English but it's something that has crept into the Premiership. Players are going down far too easily and it seems to be getting worse", Keane said.

Two of Keane's own team-mates - Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo - have in the past been accused of diving, while Arsenal weren't happy earlier on in the season when Wayne Rooney earned United a penalty at Old Trafford when he went down following minimal contact from Sol Campbell.

Although new Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick has vowed to stamp out the cheats, in all probability Keane will be forced to curb his frustration as it does not appear to be a problem that will be cleaned up easily.

The Irish midfielder also knows he is likely to face a greater degree of gamesmanship in next Wednesday's Champions League clash with AC Milan at Old Trafford. Having famously missed the 1999 final victory over Bayern Munich through suspension, Keane is running out of time to earn a 'legitimate' winner's medal from European football's most prestigious club competition.

The statistics suggest Keane may have had more success if he had accepted one of the many offers to move to La Liga or Serie A down the years. As it is, he appears certain to see out his days at Old Trafford, either at the end of his current contract in 2006 or a year afterwards. And while the pre-eminent midfielder of his generation would have enjoyed the challenge of life abroad, staying with United is not something which gives him cause for regret.

"It wasn't about the money," he said. "United had been very good to me in that respect. It was more a question of testing myself.

"It wasn't just the football but the way of life that appealed. But my children were another consideration. I don't ever regret staying, although I do like watching Italian and Spanish football."

Now back in the Irish international fold and on course for a World Cup finals appearance to make up for the one he missed out on in the Far East, Keane is part of a United squad facing up to a testing week that will determine their chances of landing some silverware this season.

A tricky FA Cup trip to Wayne Rooney's old club Everton precedes the Milan clash, although at least the return to training of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Alan Smith this week has provided a timely boost.

Unfortunately, just as Ferguson gets two key members of his squad back from injury, so he loses another, with Darren Fletcher ruled out for seven weeks with a knee-ligament injury sustained in Sunday's 2-0 win over local rivals Manchester City.