Dunphy tries to take the flack off Keane
The ghostwriter of Keane’s already infamous autobiography, has claimed as much responsibility for the content of the book as the Manchester United midfielder.
“I am as much responsible, as the writer... There is artistic licence,” Dunphy is quoted as saying in a newspaper.
A passage from the book attributed to Keane states that he intentionally tackled Manchester City player Alf-Inge Haaland with a vicious challenge.
A leading sports lawyer in Britain said that for Keane to successfully defend the £5m lawsuit brought against him by the player and his club, he would have to claim he was misquoted and taken out of context by Dunphy.
“I suspect Keane would argue there was a bit of artistic licence in the editing of the book,” said the chairman of the British Association of Sport and Law, Nick Bitel. “The book was ghostwritten, so that might give Keane an edge in claiming it was not what he said.
He could argue that those were not his exact words or that they were taken out of context. The book alone is not going to prove Haaland’s case.”
Dunphy’s attempt to take some of the flak for the comments will facilitate Keane to distance himself from them. However, in an interview following Manchester United’s first game of the season on Saturday, Keane appeared nonplussed by the fuss caused over the serialisation of his book.
“It wasn’t hard to concentrate, not one bit,” he said.
“I have a perfectly clear frame of mind. I try to tell the truth and that is what I have done. I am not bothered about the headlines, I suggest you read the book.”
Though Roy is refusing to find anything wrong with his chronicled comments, the English Football Association disagrees. Chief executive Adam Crozier has suggested it will charge Keane for bringing the game into disrepute.
“We are trying to get hold of the book prior to it being published. Unless there is something particularly different, we will be taking a very close look at it,” he said.
The offending section they, and everyone else, will pore over will no doubt help the book’s sales, but it may cost Roy £5m if he refuses to claim it is primarily the invention of Dunphy’s pen.
“We had a Saturday game away to Leeds and I was in no shape at all. I had the nightmare I deserved,” Keane is quoted as saying.
“Five minutes from time I lunged at him in desperation. I knew it would mean a booking but f**k it. As I slid in, my studs caught the turf and I heard my cruciate ligament snap.
“Some three years on, I still haven’t forgotten him. Now it is Manchester City at home, his new club fighting relegation. I waited until five minutes from the end. I f***ing hit him hard. I think the ball was there. ‘Take that you c***.’ I didn’t even wait for the ref to show the red card. I turned and walked toward the dressing room.”
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