Keane: Players make mistakes

Roy Keane has warned managers cannot be responsible for their players 24 hours a day.

After seeing the behaviour of professional footballers make for more lurid headlines over the weekend following alleged incidents during Liverpool’s training break in Portugal last week, The Sunderland boss insisted there has to be an element of trust.

He said: “You cannot keep an eye on players 24 hours a day. Players will make mistakes – I think I made one or two along the way.

“You cannot keep an eye on them 24 hours a day, you have got to try to trust them. If they do make a mistake, then you have got to try to deal with it.

“But you do not know what is around the corner. Footballers are human beings, they make mistakes.

“A lot of stuff anyway is blown out of all proportion. I take it with a pinch of salt. It is always exaggerated.”

Former Manchester United captain Keane has stamped his authority on Wearside in the six months since he took over the Sunderland reins, moving on players he felt did not match up to his requirements and enforcing strict discipline on and off the field.

His regime at the Stadium of Light now includes his players staying in a local hotel the night before a home game to ensure they are fully rested for the following day’s exertions.