‘If I couldn’t play with my heart, I couldn’t play’

Having been sent off at Newcastle United in September 2001, Roy Keane wondered if he should give up football. In his autobiography he describes how he ran through his options if he left Manchester United.

“.. Another club, abroad, somewhere sunny. At least I could be miserable in a warm climate. Could I play for another club - Celtic maybe? I relaxed as I walked and thought of a funny story. Not long before I’d been injured and gone up to Glasgow with a couple of friends to see Celtic play. United fans who followed Celtic as well, I had my baseball cap pulled well down. We had a few drinks in a pub near the ground. No one spotted me. As we were walking up to the ground two big Scots lads took a second look.

‘Are you ...? You f-ing are.’ One guy was about six foot five, built like a barn. ‘Hey, big man, when are you going to come and play for a big club?’