Roy Keane at 50: 10 great performances from a remarkable 15-year career
Roy Keane of Manchester United clashes with Patrick Vieira of Arsenal during the FA Carling Premiership. Picture: Clive Brunskill /Allsport
Anfield against the reigning league champions was a daunting task for any player but the recently-turned 19-year-old from Cork embraced the occasion to make an impression on the first of his 154 appearances for Forest.
The new No 7 was nearly as unfamiliar to his teammates than he was to Liverpoolâs players but they all knew him well by the end of his sparring with John Barnes. Three years later, Pool wouldnât even make the final cut of suitors Keane boiled a decision on his future club down to.
The boy from Mayfield had become a man by this juncture, harnessing Brian Cloughâs midfield on a marathon nine-game run to the FA Cup final against his boyhood idols Tottenham.
In a side featuring stalwarts Stuart Pearce, Des Walker and Nigel Clough, teen Keane still led from the front, producing a masterclass at Carrow Road. His second-half goal not only secured a semi-final spot against West Ham, in which heâd also score, but underlined his growing influence.
A scoreless draw at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium against their group rivals was the bedrock for back-to-back World Cup qualifications but also marked Keaneâs arrival as a mainstay of Jack Charltonâs side.
The 21-year-old was calmness personified amid a raucous background and midfield duel with MĂchel, the Real Madrid great. Diego Maradona, then seeing out his club career at Sevilla, watched on in admiration.
âNobody could get near Keane; he is the future,â purred the legend afterwards.
Keane was more interested in shutting people up than garnering praise. âI may have answered some of my critics a bit. There is a question mark over me playing at international level in some peopleâs minds, especially because of the contrast with the way we play at Forest.â
The battle of the traditional heavyweights descended into a tactical battle, a platform for Keane to nullify the opposition while aiding Unitedâs attack.
In contrast to his debut, Keane held status over Barnes at that point, the domineering midfielder a fitting successor to Bryan Robson, exemplified by the ground he covered on a warm day at Wembley. When Eric Cantona contorted to volley in the winner, chasing him to the corner flag for the celebrations was man-of-the-match Keane.
The double was clinched and so was Keaneâs reputation as the Premier League's best midfielder.
In his first match since taking over the captaincy from Andy Townsend, the then 27-year-old absorbed the responsibility with the same gusto as when Alex Ferguson had handed him the armband at United.
Mick McCarthyâs Ireland grabbed their goals early in a 2-0 win over the side whoâd finished third at the World Cup two months earlier, Keaneâs 15th minute header following a penalty from fellow Leesider Denis Irwin. A brilliant start to the campaign but Ireland, without an injured Keane, blew top spot in the last minute of the final qualifier against Macedonia.
The one Keane is remembered for - not from the consequences of his suspension he incurred but the consequences from the comeback the skipper inspired.
Unitedâs 31-year wait for a place in Europeâs biggest final looked set to prolong when the Italians extended their aggregate advantage to 2-0 on home soil. Then, before half-time, the skipper glided through the air to steer a header inside the far post and got booked for a mistimed tackle on Zinedine Zidane.
While it ruled him out of the final, his determination to oversee the turnaround was undimmed and he oversaw a 3-2 aggregate victory. Lauded for his selflessness by Ferguson, Keane demurred. âThatâs like praising the postman for delivering letters.â
Leading the treble winners into the defence of their crown, Keaneâs brace inspired a 2-1 comeback win to end Arsenalâs 20-month unbeaten run at Highbury.
The customary clash with midfield nemesis Patrick Vieira didnât distract the maverick from salvaging a game against their closest domestic rivals. Yet he was a rarity in the United side insofar as, although his team buckled under the pressure, he thrived â winning both Player of the Year awards from the football writers and his peers.
Arguably, his four goals during that campaign were more decisive to qualification but it was his tackle, instead of Jason McAteerâs goal in the 1-0 win over the Dutch in the penultimate fixture, that the public most recall most. Once Keane sent Marc Overmars tumbling in an early cruncher, the crowd and McCarthyâs side came alive.
His surging run infield, too, created the space for Steve Finnan to overlap and square for Jason McAteer to fire home the winner for a side which played the last half hour with 10 men.
And then there was the blindsided handshake at full-time, the most ominous sign of what was to follow.
Perhaps motivated to atone for missing the final three years earlier, Keane was to the fore in trying to remedy a hole theyâd dug at Old Trafford by drawing the first leg 2-2. Their captain skipped past the goalkeeper and angled in a goal to give the away side a lead in Germany, only for Oliver Neuville to crash the equaliser in off the crossbar.
This was different territory to being knocked out by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the previous two seasons, leaving Keane livid: âThis club deserves to win another European Cup and we blew it. Itâs as simple as that.
âWe had a great opportunity and these sort of chances donât come along very often. This club belongs in the European Cup final and itâs a disaster."
One last hurrah. The legs may have a tad gone but the fire hadnât and spearheading a team featuring the burgeoning duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney brought with it a different hue to Keaneâs leadership. Before a ball had been kicked, that was evident by putting Vieira in his place during a tunnel confrontation.
His French adversary was on course to win the battle when heading the opening goal but Keane oversaw a 4-2 victory. Both Vieira and Keane would take their leave from England within the year, their jousts still a throwback to an era like no other in the Premier League annals.
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