Roy Keane consoled Wales' Taylor after Coleman tackle

By James Candy

Neil Taylor has revealed Roy Keane was the first to offer words of comfort after his horror tackle on Seamus Coleman left the Ireland full-back fighting for his career.

The Wales defender has opened up for the first time since that infamous challenge at the Aviva Stadium in March last year.

However, instead of getting an earful from the fierce Ireland assistant manager, Taylor was reassured by Keane.

“I remember going to the Ireland changing room to seek out Martin O’Neil or someone to say how sorry I was for what had happened and to let me know what hospital he’d gone to so I could say sorry.

“In my mind, I wanted to see him and apologise, but I remember Roy Keane came out, and he was great with me.

He said: ‘Listen, I’m not someone who can lecture you on tackles, with the history of my career. It’s football, it’s what happens, you have to take what comes with it now and answer all the questions. The only consolation I give you is that Seamus is a player that gets fouled all the time.’

Coleman has played every minute of Everton’s four Premier League matches this season under Marco Silva.

But there will be no frosty reunion between the pair after Newcastle defender Paul Dummett replaced Neil Taylor in the Wales squad.

The Aston Villa left-back says he will always have that moment in the back of his mind when he slides in for a tackle, but his conscience is clear.

“The abuse doesn’t bother me, it’s part and parcel of football and keyboard warriors looking for a reaction, but it was the fact he broke his leg, I’ve had the injury so I know what he’s got to go through,” said Taylor.

The tackle still looks bad when you see it, but my conscience is clear, because I know I went for the ball. I’ve never in my life not gone for the ball.

“It’ll forever be in the back of my mind that you can mistime one, but I can honestly say I was over-stretching for that ball, like I have done many times before, and the way his leg has hit mine has broken it.

“It could have ended up with me just tripping him up, but my conscience is clear, because I didn’t go in to hurt him.”