Giggs hails Keane the 'truly great captain'

Roy Keane will make one final appearance for Manchester United at Old Trafford tomorrow with Ryan Giggs admitting the Irishman’s leadership qualities set him apart from anyone he has ever played with.

Keane has admitted he wants a sense of ‘closure’ from his testimonial between his old club and current one, Celtic.

The presence of an incredible 25,000-strong visiting support will ensure a full house at the expanded Theatre of Dreams and net Keane an estimated €3.7m in receipts, the vast majority of which he is expected to donate to charity.

But for Keane, the occasion is more about the chance to say goodbye to supporters who revered him during his 12 years at the club and who were left staggered by the abruptness of his departure last November.

Although the split apparently came because his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson had reached its natural conclusion, on Friday his former boss had no hesitation in naming Keane as the best player he has managed during his time at United.

It is not an assessment Giggs would disagree with.

The Welshman has been part of the Red Devils dressing room even longer than Keane. And, while other players have different qualities, particularly in the case of Eric Cantona, Giggs recognises Keane was a bit special.

“Roy had an effect on everyone,” said Giggs.

“He was a great player in his own right but what set him apart from anyone else is what he got out of those around him and the effect he had on the team as a whole.

“He had this ability to get a little bit more even from the very best players, which made him a truly great captain.

“He is a winner and he led by example. Every time he went out on the pitch he was absolutely desperate to win and more often than not, he achieved it purely because of his presence.”

Keane has yet to indicate how much time he will spend wearing the red of United and the green of Celtic tomorrow but the chances are it will play 45 minutes for each side.

Then, he will go away for a short holiday with his family before deciding whether to take up the offer of another season with the Scottish Premier League title winners, which could yet lead to one more competitive appearance at Old Trafford in next season’s Champions League.