The words that could return to haunt Roy

Rarely has any footballing autobiography stirred as much controversy as Roy Keane’s account of a turbulent career which is currently on hold through injury.

The 31-year-old Irishman’s brutal description of his row with international boss Mick McCarthy, which eventually saw him walk out on the World Cup, his withering condemnation of Jack Charlton’s managerial approach, the sectarian accusations levelled at Northern Irish outfit Linfield which brought the threat of legal action and the claim that his own team-mates had become too fond of their Rolex watches and mansions to care about winning trophies.

But, despite all this, it is the feud with Manchester City midfielder Alfie Haaland which threatens to land him in trouble with the Football Association today.

Keane has already been punished once for the horror tackle at Old Trafford in April last year, which caught his opponent just below the knee and sent him spinning to the floor in agony.

The instant red card delivered by referee David Elleray brought a three-match ban but Keane has also been accused of making an “improperly motivated” tackle and then profiting from its description.

Here, PA Sport looks at the words which caused consternation within the FA’s hallowed walls.

April 1997. In a match against Leeds at Elland Road, Keane has become increasingly irritated by what he perceives as niggling tactics by Haaland.

“He was winding me up from the beginning of the game. The late tackles I could live with. But the other stuff – pulling my shirt, getting digs in off the ball – really bugged me. At times Haaland wasn’t even following the play.”

Further frustrated at the 1-0 scoreline in Leeds’ favour, Keane attempts to trip Haaland inside the home penalty area. He sends his opponent to the ground but at the same time, catches his studs in the turf, tearing his cruciate ligaments.

“I actually heard my cruciate ligament snap. The pain was instant and agonising. Haaland stood over me shouting ‘Get up, stop faking it’.

Summer 1997. Keane continues on the long road to full fitness, vowing to change his lifestyle but admitting the clash with Haaland was never far from his mind.

“I would never take my fitness for granted again. Few days passed when I didn’t think about Alfie Haaland. More positively, I promised myself that if I got out of this with my career intact, I’d spend more time working on my fitness.”

April 2000. In the build-up to the final Manchester derby of the season at Old Trafford, Keane noted that Haaland had previously made sarcastic references to the Irishman’s claim that United’s “prawn sandwich brigade” know nothing about football.

"Haaland has been mouthing off: ‘If Roy Keane is so worried about the hard-core fans - and the corporate boxes - why doesn’t he take a wage cut?’ I hadn’t forgotten Alfie. Bryan Robson told me to take my time. ‘You’ll get your chance, Roy. Wait.”’

Keane is upset by his team’s performance. Steve Howey had grabbed a late equaliser to Teddy Sheringham’s penalty and the game seems destined to end in a 1-1 draw.

“I’d waited almost 180 minutes for Alfie, three years if you looked at it another way. Now he had the ball on the far touchline. Alfie was taking the piss. I’d waited long enough. I hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that. And don’t ever stand over me again sneering about fake injuries. I didn’t wait for Mr Elleray to show the card. I turned and walked to the dressing room.”

Keane has since claimed he has never set out to injure any opponent deliberately and suggested ghostwriter Eamon Dunphy had paraphrased his comments ‘in his own words’. This is believed to be the defence he will offer at the Reebok Stadium today, although he has also insisted he read through the book before publication and was ‘happy with it’.

If today’s decision goes against him, that opinion might have to be revised.