Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson chose to omit Roy Keane when listing the greatest captains he's managed. Ferguson and Keane infamously share a rather sharp-tongued relationship, which came to boiling point when the Irishman eventually left Old Trafford in November 2005, having burned bridges with his highly successful manager of 12 years.
In the time following his mid-season departure, the two have rarely seen eye-to-eye and often reaffirmed such bitterness – with this latest episode seemingly being no different.
Ferguson, when asked about the best captains who have played for him, chose the iconic Bryan Robson and Steve Bruce. He also chose to name Edwin van der Sar – a man who was never even officially the skipper for United – over Keane, who held the role for eight years.
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Asked if it was important to have a captain to carry the manager's message onto the pitch, Ferguson responded, speaking on The Go Radio Business Show: “Without question. Bryan Robson was the king. Honestly, unbelievable personality, unbelievable determination, a born-winner, and the players loved him.
“He was one of these few players that I really trusted on the pitch and sometimes he would make changes and look over at me, but I would nod and say: ‘fine.’ He was fantastic, a great leader.
“Bruce was completely different, his leadership was all on the field, people could follow that. While, Bryan Robson dominated a lot of players’ minds. Right into half-time, same as Edwin van der Sar, he was a bit like that too. At half-time, he was absolutely fantastic going round to players, and in the morning gave them a slap on the back and things like this.”
Keane was Ferguson’s captain for most of his 12 years with the Red Devils but didn’t get a mention, perhaps indicative of the quite sour relationship the pair still share.
“I never had a cosy relationship with any of the managers I worked for. I just didn’t believe in it. It didn’t suit my personality,” Keane told Sky Sports in 2023.
“There was never any bond there,” Keane added when asked about Ferguson specifically. “Absolutely not. I think we had two or three really private conversations with the manager in my time at the club. It was a case of just get on with it and do your job. Go and perform week in and week out, be a good pro around the place.
“I’m glad I was never really close to a manager, it’s just my opinion, but there’s no need for it. In my experience, some managers, when you think you’ve done well for them, ultimately, at the end, they’ll throw you under the bus anyway.”
Both Keane and Ferguson have clashed publicly in the past, which eventually led to the Irishman's rather abrupt departure from Old Trafford.
One infamous incident saw the two fail to see eye-to-eye during a pre-season training camp in Portugal, in which quarrels over where Keane and his family would stay "placed a strain on his relationship with us [United]," according to Ferguson’s autobiography.
However, an interview with MUTV in October 2005, which went unaired due to Keane’s ruthless lambasting of his fellow players, acted as the final nail in his coffin. "Roy overstepped his mark, absolutely overstepped his mark,” as further put by Ferguson in his autobiography regarding this faux pas.
Keane left for Celtic a month later, and this omission from Ferguson's listing of all-time great captains is just another instance that proves the two remain on very different wavelengths.
