Keane 'unique' for United - PFA

The dramatic end to Roy Keane’s Manchester United career was swiftly followed by warm tributes to the Irishman.

Keane ended a 12-year association with United today when he left the club by mutual consent.

The Professional Footballers’ Association lauded the 34-year-old’s contribution to the Old Trafford club, with deputy chief executive Mick McGuire declaring Keane would be a hard act to follow.

“He’s been a magnificent player for the club and has been as instrumental as any player in ensuring that United have been a leading club in the Premiership and have achieved so much in the last decade,” said McGuire.

“He is unique and he’s going to be very, very difficult to replace.”

Former United and Republic of Ireland striker Frank Stapleton believes Keane's recent criticism of team-mates in an MUTV programme, which was considered so strong that the show was pulled from the schedules, was ``at the centre'' of the mutual decision to quit.

“In some ways I’m surprised and in other ways I’m not,” Stapleton told Sky Sports News.

“It is a reaction to what happened a few weeks ago, when he criticised his team-mates publicly, plus a combination of the fact that maybe they weren’t ready to renew his contract at the end of the season.

“He probably said ‘I’ll go now rather than wait’.

“The programme is the centre of this. Just before (the pulled MUTV programme) he had said he didn’t think he’d be at the club after this season maybe to force them into giving him a contract.

“At this stage of his career Roy knows it is very straightforward. He wouldn’t have thought twice about saying ‘right, let’s call it a day now, let’s move on’ and the club have obviously made the decision not to renew his contract.

“In the period that he has been there he has had unbelievable success. But in my mind no player has ever been bigger than Manchester United. The club will go on and look to get stronger.”

Another former United player, Lou Macari, was shocked by the news.

“It’s a real bolt out of the blue. I’ve always thought of Roy Keane as a major part of Manchester United,” he said.

“There is always a place for Roy Keane in the team, and it is only when the likes of Keane, Paul Scholes and the Nevilles have all gone that people will realise their value.

“Trying to replace Roy Keane is almost impossible and no matter what Roy will say over the next few weeks and months ahead, Roy will be gutted that he is no longer a Manchester United player.”