Fergie still power mad

Roy Keane believes Alex Ferguson is still trying to exert “control and power” at Manchester United despite retiring as manager in the summer.

The Corkman, who was Ferguson’s midfield driving force in a glorious spell for the club between 1993 and 2005, says the Scot has a “massive ego” and rated his former boss at Nottingham Forest, Brian Clough, as the best manager he had worked with.

United have endured a difficult start to life under Ferguson’s successor David Moyes, having lost three Barclays Premier League games at Old Trafford already this season to sit ninth in the table.

Keane said of Ferguson, now a director at United: “Everything is about control and power. He’s still striving for it now even though he’s not manager. There’s massive ego involved in that.”

Keane, who left United in 2005 after a fall-out with Ferguson, was speaking in an ITV4 documentary called Keane and Vieira: The Best of Enemies which airs tonight (10pm) concerning his rivalry with former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira.

He said that his relationship with the former United boss is now “non existent”.

Keane admitted he had cried in his car when his United career came to an abrupt end over a candid interview he gave to the club’s in-house television station criticising his team-mates.

He said: “Of course I was upset: I did shed a few tears in my car for about two minutes.

“But I also told myself I had to get on with my life.

“I walked out with nothing, I had no club lined up and I was injured.

“I told David Gill I had been injured playing for Man United.

“I could have played for Manchester United easily for another couple of years.”

Keane said Ferguson’s strongest trait was his “ruthlessness”, while labelling “loyalty” his biggest weakness.

And now Ferguson has retired, Keane revealed he and his son have season tickets at Old Trafford.