Roy Keane has admitted that the “best place” for two Manchester United legends to absorb a lot of pressure was for them to be on the “football pitch.”
The 53-year-old Irishman was widely admired for his no-nonsense leadership and impressive elite mentality during his legendary playing career.
Roy Keane equally had a sensational impact as a player and the Manchester United legend was a commanding box-to-box midfielder in his prime.
The former United star is considered one of the best Premier League captains of all time after his prolific spell under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
During his time at the Red Devils, Keane famously captained Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to their famous continental treble win in the 1998-99 season.
The Irish hardman lifted seven Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and four FA Cups during his playing career at Old Trafford.
Keane’s time at United came to an abrupt end in 2005 after his relationship with Ferguson was fractured and the ex-Red Devils captain was axed by the club.
Keane spotlights two Man Utd legends
Speaking on the Stick to Football show, Manchester United legend Roy Keane made his feelings clear on the situation surrounding Kyle Walker at Manchester City.
Kyle Walker is under contract at the Etihad until 2026, but the 34-year-old City captain has told the defending Premier League champions that he wants to leave.
The City full-back has been linked with Serie A outfit AC Milan and Walker could make his exit from Pep Guardiola’s side before the end of the January window.
Keane claimed that the transfer saga surrounding Walker appears to have “taken its toll” and he believes that it is “affecting” the England international.
However, the Sky Sports pundit suggested that ex-United teammates Wayne Rooney and David Beckham showed how to handle “huge pressure” with their actions.
“It is affecting his game now – I think it has taken its toll,” Keane said on The Overlap.
“Other players have been under huge pressure, whether it be Wayne Rooney or David Beckham, they get on with it and the best place for them to be is the football pitch.
“For other players, the pressure piles on them and then their performances are affected.
“I think Pep will look after him [Walker], but whether that’ll mean letting him go on the cheap, I don’t know.”
Keane talks Walker transfer saga
Keane was critical of Kyle Walker’s decision to want to leave City in the middle of the season after Pep Guardiola’s men have struggled in the 2024-25 campaign.
“A lot of players have off-the-pitch issues – not just Kyle Walker – and eventually it does catch up with your performance on the pitch and it takes its toll on you,” he said.
“I have no problem with a player saying that he needs a change, but in the middle of the season when your team are struggling – I would just bide my time. I still think Manchester City will look at this as a business deal.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/DE3yMmx