Keane pays tribute to Giggs

Sunderland manager Roy Keane knows his team will come up against a star-studded cast against his old club Manchester United at the Stadium of Light tomorrow - but for him, few burn brighter than evergreen Ryan Giggs.

The Welsh winger is still going strong at the age of 34, and 17 years after he joined United as a trainee.

For Keane, his one-time team-mate is peerless.

"Giggsy is a top man, a great example to any player," said the Irishman as he prepares his Premier League strugglers for a tough examination against the champions.

"His consistency - to play well week in week out, not over three, four, five seasons but over 16, 17 or 18 - is fantastic.

"He is a great example to every player out there. He is a great example to every player - that's the best way of putting it - and a pretty decent lad."

Giggs' will be far from the only face familiar to Keane tomorrow, of course - with his old boss Alex Ferguson now a formidable rival manager.

The two men will be in opposite dug-outs for the second time since Keane launched his managerial career - and it was thanks only to a Louis Saha goal that the Scot had the edge at Old Trafford three months ago.

British football's pre-eminent boss continues to add accolades to his curriculum vitae long after his planned retirement, but that comes as no surprise to a man who watched him work his magic at close hand.

Keane said: "What you find with all these top managers and top people, whether it be sport or business, they like to win.

"That's what you find with all these people - and they never get sick of winning, and that's why they are so good. They love winning, they never get sick of it.

"Some people like to win once or twice and that's it. These people like to win year after year after year, and to have that drive and desire is fantastic.

"That's why you have got to admire these people."

Perhaps one of the reasons for their success together is that Keane and Ferguson share at least some of the same characteristics, a fact acknowledged by the younger man.

He said: "I like to win, yes, I like to win."

The former Republic of Ireland captain arrived on Wearside, having brought down the curtain on his playing days at Celtic following his split with United after more than 12 glittering years at Old Trafford.

His departure was preceded by a difference of opinion with Ferguson, although he insists he has no regrets.

Keane said: "I don't have any regrets about the way it ended - maybe one or two people might, but I don't.

"All good things come to an end and that was it. It ended the way it ended. It was brilliant, it was everything I thought it would be. It was fantastic.

"I loved it, I loved every minute of it."

An apology was offered and accepted as Keane launched the latest phase of his career - although while Ferguson was a big help during his first year in management, the advice has dried up more recently.

Keane said: "It's all right when you are in the Championship and one or two managers are keen to help you with certain players or whatever.

"But then when you are in the same league as them - and rightly so - then all that stops."

Keane is one of several United old boys in the Sunderland camp.

Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Danny Higginbotham and Paul McShane are likely to be involved - and 36-year-old Yorke admits he will be as excited as anyone.

He said: "It does not make any difference that I am a little bit older than some of the guys and have been there and done it, I am still as excited as those who have never played against them before."