“They were complete idiots” – Roy Keane has no regrets over falling out with players

Roy Keane was speaking on The Overlap’s new ‘Stick to Football’ show.

Yesterday on these pages, we wrote about how Jon Walters’ new autobiography could reveal some tasty stories about his bitter relationship with his old Ipswich and Ireland coach Roy Keane.

Keane’s dislike for Walters was leaked in a voice message from ex-Burnley left-back Stephen Ward after the disastrous Nations League campaign of 2018 and the pair have exchanged comments on a few occasions since.

Walters though, was just one of a few players who Keane clashed with during his managerial days.

Keane has no regrets after falling out with “idiot” players.

Harry Arter, for example, also found himself in Keane’s firing line when he was playing for Ireland, and Keane’s fellow Corkonian Damien Delaney has often spoken about how the ex-Man United captain would “destroy” him at Ipswich.

But does Keane regret any of his clashes with those players? Yeah, you probably guessed right…

In the first episode of The Overlap’s ‘Stick To Football’ series, Keane and fellow pundits were discussing Erik Ten Hag’s complicated relationship with sidelined winger Jadon Sancho when the former Ireland assistant manager was asked the question:

“I fell out with lads when I was obviously manager of Sunderland, Ipswich, when I was working with Martin at Ireland,” said Keane, “and I look back and I analyse it and I was convinced – and I still am – that I was right.

Idiots.

“No, I was,” he reiterated as Ian Wright started to giggle, “lads I would fall out with were complete, like, idiots, who never did nothing with their careers or their lives afterwards, so that gives me a bit of comfort.

“Nobody has ever really proved me wrong on that side of it…honestly, you would have discussions and arguments but usually…listen, players can be wrong as well, obviously”

They can be wrong, says Keane, but it’s not a rule of thumb for him. At least not when it’s 2002 and you’re on an island in the Western Pacific!

You can read much more about Roy Keane’s very public feud with Jon Walters by clicking here.