Keane’s ‘no’ to Cork footballers

Roy Keane has revealed that he declined an invitation to address the Cork senior football squad last year. 

Back in 2006, the Leesider spent time chatting to the Cork hurling squad midway through their quest for a third All-Ireland Championship title on the spin. Many players branded the interaction with Keane as “inspirational”.

However, when their football counterparts laid out the welcome mat during the 2014 Championship, the 43-year-old was of a different mindset.

“I literally get asked every week would I go speak to teams to motivate them but I’ve stopped all that nonsense,” Keane explained on Thursday night at a fundraiser for Waterford United.

“I’d worry if teams need someone to come in and motivate them or gee them up. That’s got to come from within their own group.

“I know when I was a player myself, even as a youngster, I never needed anybody to motivate me. That’s got to come from within – whether it’s hurlers or footballers. So I’ve stopped all that nonsense.

“I was asked to speak to the Cork footballers last year and I said no. What do they think I was going to say to them? I’m quite happy to speak with younger players or young teams to try give them encouragement but we’re talking about a senior team here.”

The Mayfield native insists the insight he gained in 2008 from his week-long placement with the All Blacks squad as part of his Uefa Pro Licence course reinforced that view.

“When I went back to the (Uefa) group, I had to report what I found out from the trip to Wellington. I said that they were really top players, really motivated, hungry for success, trained properly – and that was it. There were no secrets.”