Premiership: Players are just pieces of meat - Keane

Roy Keane insists that managers still control the power in clubs and players are just "expensive pieces of meat".

The Manchester United skipper says that anyone who thought the Bosman ruling had given players a free licence was mistaken.

Keane was referring to the shock £16.5m transfer of team-mate Jaap Stam to Lazio.

He said "His (Stam's) transfer to Lazio illustrates how little power footballers have in the game. Contracts mean nothing," Keane said.

"He (Stam) has discovered that, to football clubs, players are just expensive pieces of meat.

"The harsh realities remain and when a club decide they want to sell there is little you can do once the wheels are in motion."

The midfielder has backed the decision to bring in 35-year-old World Cup winner Laurent Blanc to replace Stam in the centre of defence.

"Over the years only a few players have really caught my eye but Blanc is among them," he revealed.

"His age appears to be something of an issue but this is one 35-year-old who looks 20 on the training pitch."