Roy Keane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Roy Keane

Keane in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Roy Maurice Keane
Date of birth	(1971-08-10) 10 August 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Cork, Ireland
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1981–1989	Rockmount
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1989–1990	Cobh Ramblers	23	(1)
1990–1993	Nottingham Forest	114	(22)
1993–2005	Manchester United	326	(33)
2005–2006	Celtic	10	(1)
Total		473	(57)
National team
1991	Republic of Ireland U21	4	(0)
1991–2005	Republic of Ireland	67	(9)
Teams managed
2006–2008	Sunderland
2009–2011	Ipswich Town
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is a famous Irish football expert, former coach, and professional player. He is one of the most successful Irish footballers ever. He won 19 major trophies in his club career. Most of these (17) were with Manchester United. Many people think he was one of the best midfielders of his time. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé even included him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

During his 18 years as a player, Keane played for Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, and Celtic. He was a strong and competitive midfielder. He was known for his aggressive style of play. This helped him become a great captain for Manchester United from 1997 to 2005. Keane helped United win many titles. These included seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League. After Manchester United, he joined Celtic. There, he won the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish League Cup. He retired as a player in 2006.

Keane also played for the Republic of Ireland for 14 years. He was captain for most of that time. He played in every game at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He was sent home from the 2002 FIFA World Cup after a disagreement with the national coach Mick McCarthy.

After retiring as a player, Keane started managing teams. He led Sunderland from near the bottom of the Football League Championship to winning the title. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League. He later managed Ipswich Town. He also worked as an assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland national team, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest. Today, Keane is a popular football expert on TV for ITV and Sky Sports. In 2021, he was added to the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Football Dreams

Roy Maurice Keane was born on 10 August 1971 in Cork, Ireland. His family loved sports, especially football. Many of his relatives played for local clubs. Roy started boxing at age nine and won all his fights. But he was even better at football. He played for a team called Rockmount. He was even voted "Player of the Year" in his first season.

Even though he was a great player, many English teams didn't offer him trials. They thought he was too small. As a child, he supported Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur. His favourite players were Liam Brady and Glenn Hoddle. Later, he admired Manchester United player Bryan Robson the most.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Cobh Ramblers

When he was 14, Keane was turned down by the Ireland schoolboys team. They said he was "just too small." He tried to get trials with English clubs, but none of them wanted him. He took temporary jobs while waiting for his football chance.

In 1989, he joined Cobh Ramblers, an Irish semi-professional club. He quickly became a promising player. He often played for both the youth team and the first team on the same weekend. In February 1990, a scout from Nottingham Forest saw him play. He was invited for a trial in England. Keane impressed Forest manager Brian Clough. Soon after, Cobh Ramblers sold Keane to Nottingham Forest for £47,000 in the summer of 1990.

Time at Nottingham Forest

Life in Nottingham was hard for Keane at first. He missed his family in Cork. Manager Brian Clough was kind and let him go home often. Keane started playing for Forest's Under-21s team. Then he played regularly for the reserve team. His first professional game was against Liverpool in the 1990–91 season. Clough started using him more and more.

Keane scored his first goal against Sheffield United. By 1991, he was a regular starter. He helped Forest reach the 1991 FA Cup Final, but they lost to Tottenham Hotspur. A year later, he played in the 1992 Football League Cup Final but lost again, this time to Manchester United.

Top clubs in the Premier League started noticing Keane. In 1992, Blackburn Rovers wanted to sign him. Forest was struggling and likely to be relegated. Keane negotiated a new contract with a clause that let him leave if they went down. Forest fans voted him their Player of the Season. But Forest was relegated, and Keane could leave. Blackburn agreed to pay £4 million for him.

However, a mistake happened. Blackburn didn't have the right paperwork to finish the transfer on a Friday. They agreed to meet on Monday. But Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson heard about it. He called Keane and asked him to join United instead. Ferguson made sure the paperwork was ready. He signed Keane for Manchester United for £3.75 million. This was a record transfer fee in Britain at the time.

Becoming a Legend at Manchester United

Roy Keane playing for Manchester United in 2005.

Even with the record fee, Keane wasn't guaranteed a spot. But injuries to other players gave him a chance. He scored twice in his first home game. He also scored the winning goal in the Manchester derby against Manchester City. Keane quickly became a key player. By the end of his first season, United won the Premier League title. Two weeks later, they won the FA Cup, completing their first "double".

The next season, United didn't win any major trophies. Keane received his first red card for Manchester United. This was one of 11 red cards he would get during his time at the club. In 1995, older players left United. Younger players like David Beckham and Paul Scholes joined. Keane became the most experienced midfielder. United won another Premier League title and the FA Cup in 1996. This was Keane's second "double."

In the 1996–97 season, Keane had many knee injuries and suspensions. He missed the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg. United lost, but they won another league title.

Captain and Treble Winner

After Eric Cantona left, Keane became club captain. But he missed most of the 1997–98 season. He got a serious knee injury trying to tackle Leeds United player Alfie Haaland. United lost the league title that season. Many people thought Keane's absence was a big reason why.

Keane returned as captain the next season (1998–99). He led United to win the treble: the FA Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. In the Champions League semi-final against Juventus, United was losing 2–0. Keane scored the first goal and inspired his team to a 3–2 win. This game is often called his best performance. However, Keane got a yellow card, which meant he couldn't play in the final. United won the final 2–1 against Bayern Munich. Keane was happy for the team but sad he couldn't play.

Later that year, Keane scored the only goal in the 1999 Intercontinental Cup final. United beat Palmeiras in Tokyo. The next season, Keane signed a new contract with United. He was voted PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year. He led United to another Premier League title.

In November 2000, Keane spoke out about some United fans. He said they were too quiet during games. He called them "prawn sandwich brigade" fans. This phrase is now used in English football to describe fans who care more about fashion than the game.

Later Years and Departure

In 2001, Keane was sent off in the Manchester derby for a foul on Alfie Haaland. He was suspended and fined. Later, in his autobiography, he said he intended to "hurt" Haaland. This led to more punishment from the FA. Haaland's career ended due to a long-standing knee injury, not this tackle.

United didn't win any trophies in the 2001–02 season. Keane blamed some teammates for caring too much about money. He felt they had "lost the hunger." In 2002, Keane had hip surgery. He changed his playing style to be less reckless. He still led United to another league title in 2003.

Keane had a big rivalry with Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira. In 2005, before a game, Keane confronted Vieira in the tunnel. United won the game 4–2. Keane holds the record for most red cards in English football (13). He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He was also the only Irish player in the FIFA 100 list.

Keane left Manchester United on 18 November 2005. This happened after growing tensions with manager Alex Ferguson and other players. Keane had criticized the team's training camp and some teammates' performances. He scored 33 league goals and 51 goals overall for Manchester United. His last goal was in March 2005.

United offered Keane a special game to celebrate his 12.5 years at the club. This "testimonial match" took place on 9 May 2006. United played Celtic. Keane played for both teams. The game had a record crowd of 69,591 people. All the money went to Keane's favourite charity, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Playing for Celtic

On 15 December 2005, Keane joined Celtic, the team he supported as a child. His first game was a surprising 2–1 loss to a lower-league team. Keane scored his only Celtic goal a month later. He helped Celtic win the Scottish Premier League title and the Scottish League Cup. These were his last trophies as a player.

On 12 June 2006, Keane announced he was retiring from football. Doctors advised him to stop playing. Many former coaches and teammates praised him. Sir Alex Ferguson said Keane would be remembered as one of the best players ever.

International Career for Ireland

Keane played for the Republic of Ireland for many years. He was part of the Under-19 team that qualified for the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship. When he first joined the Under-21 team, he didn't like how disorganised it was. This feeling stayed with him throughout his international career.

He was chosen for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. He played in every game. This included a famous 1–0 win against Italy. Ireland was knocked out by the Netherlands in the second round. But it was still seen as a success. Keane was named Ireland's best player of the tournament. However, Keane didn't want to celebrate. He felt they hadn't achieved enough.

Ireland qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup under new manager Mick McCarthy. Keane played a big part in this. They didn't lose any games against strong teams like Portugal and the Netherlands.

The 2002 World Cup Incident

Before the 2002 World Cup, the Irish team went to a training base in Saipan. Keane was very unhappy with the training facilities. He said the pitch was "like a car park." He also complained about the team's equipment arriving late.

After a disagreement with coaches, Keane said he was leaving the squad. He wanted to go home. The team couldn't get him a flight right away. The next day, Mick McCarthy asked him to stay, and Keane agreed. However, Keane then gave an interview to a newspaper. He talked about his unhappiness with the facilities. McCarthy was upset and confronted Keane in front of the whole team. Keane refused to back down. He said he told the truth and fans deserved to know. This led to a very heated argument. Keane told McCarthy he didn't respect him as a player, manager, or person.

None of Keane's teammates openly supported him during the meeting. McCarthy then announced that he had sent Keane home from the squad. Because of this, Ireland couldn't replace Keane in the World Cup squad.

Return to the National Team

Mick McCarthy resigned as Ireland manager in November 2002. Keane had said he wouldn't play for Ireland as long as McCarthy was manager. The new manager, Brian Kerr, talked to Keane. In April 2004, Keane returned to the Irish team. He was not made captain again. After Ireland failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Keane retired from international football for good. He wanted to focus on his club career.

Coaching Career

Sunderland Manager

Keane started his managing career at Sunderland. The club's chairman, Niall Quinn, was a former teammate. Sunderland was near the bottom of the Football League Championship. Keane signed a three-year deal. He quickly made changes, bringing in new players. These included former Manchester United teammates Dwight Yorke and Liam Miller.

Keane's first two games as manager were wins. Sunderland started to move up the league table. By the end of the year, they were out of the bottom half. Keane won Manager of the Month awards in February and March 2007. He was strict with his players. Once, he left three players behind for being late for the team bus.

Sunderland won promotion to the Premier League on 29 April. A week later, they won the Championship title. Keane's achievements earned him the Championship Manager of the Year award. In the Premier League, Sunderland had a tough start. They lost 7–1 to Everton, which Keane called "one of the lowest points" of his career. But their form improved, and they stayed in the division. Keane continued to sign former Manchester United players.

In December 2008, Keane resigned as Sunderland manager. He had disagreements with the club's owners. Some players were reportedly happy when he left because of his tough style.

Ipswich Town Manager

On 23 April 2009, Keane became the new manager of Ipswich Town. His first game was a 3–0 win. Ipswich started the 2009–10 season without a win in their first 14 matches. Their form improved, but they drew too many games. They finished 15th. Keane was dismissed as Ipswich manager on 7 January 2011.

Assistant Manager Roles

In November 2013, Keane became the assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland under Martin O'Neill. He also became assistant manager for Aston Villa in 2014, doing both jobs at once. He left Aston Villa in November 2014 to focus on Ireland. In January 2019, he joined Martin O'Neill again as assistant manager at Nottingham Forest, leaving in June 2019. In November 2018, Keane and O'Neill left their roles with the Ireland national team.

Playing Style

Roy Keane was a strong and dominant midfielder. He was known for his hard work, energy, and tough tackles. This made him one of the best players in the world in his position. He was also known for his temper and getting cards. He usually played in the middle of the field, either protecting the defence or moving all over the pitch.

His best qualities were his stamina, smart play, and ability to win the ball. He was also good at carrying the ball forward and passing it to start attacks. He could even score goals himself, especially earlier in his career. Later, he played a deeper role to save his energy. Keane was a great leader and very determined. He inspired his teammates to play their best.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Keane goal

List of international goals scored by Roy Keane

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	16 November 1994	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	2–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 1996 qualification
2	6 September 1997	Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland	Iceland	2–2	4–2	1998 World Cup qualification
3				3–2
4	5 September 1998	Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland	Croatia	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2000 qualification
5	14 October 1998	Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland	Malta	3–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2000 qualification
6	24 March 2001	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Cyprus	1–0	4–0	2002 World Cup qualification
7				4–0
8	2 June 2001	Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland	Portugal	1–0	1–1	2002 World Cup qualification
9	6 October 2001	Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland	Cyprus	4–0	4–0	2002 World Cup qualification

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Keane lifting the 1999 FA Cup as captain of Manchester United

Nottingham Forest

• Full Members' Cup: 1991–92

Manchester United

• Premier League: 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03
• FA Cup: 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
• FA Community Shield: 1993, 1996, 1997, 2003
• UEFA Champions League: 1998–99
• Intercontinental Cup: 1999

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2005–06
• Scottish League Cup: 2005–06

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 1992–93, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02
• PFA Team of the Century: (1907–2007)
  • Team of the Century 1997–2007
  • Overall Team of the Century
• FAI Young International Player of the Year: 1993, 1994
• FAI Senior International Player of the Year: 1997, 2001
• Premier League Player of the Month: October 1998, December 1999
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 1999, 2000
• RTÉ Sports Person of the Year: 1999
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 2000
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2000
• ESM Team of the Year: 1999–2000
• Premier League 10 Seasons Awards: (1992–93 to 2001–02)
  • Overseas Team of the Decade
• English Football Hall of Fame: 2004
• FIFA 100
• Premier League 20 Seasons Awards: (1992–93 to 2011–12):
  • Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons (Panel choice)
• Premier League Hall of Fame: 2021

As a Manager

Sunderland

• Football League Championship: 2006–07

Individual Awards

• Football League Championship Manager of the Month: February 2007, March 2007
• LMA Championship Manager of the Year: 2006–07

Other Awards

• Cork Person of the Year: 2004
• Honorary Doctorate of Law: 2002

Outside Football

Media Work

Keane has worked as a football expert on TV. He once said he didn't enjoy it and would "rather go to the dentist." But he later changed his mind. He became a chief football analyst for ITV. He appeared on many live matches, including the Champions League and FA Cup. He also worked for Sky Sports on "Super Sunday."

Personal Life

Keane married Theresa Doyle in 1997. They have five children. When he joined Manchester United, his family lived in different houses in the Manchester area. In 2009, they moved to Woodbridge, Suffolk, when he managed Ipswich Town.

In October 2014, Keane released the second part of his autobiography, The Second Half. It was written with Roddy Doyle. His first autobiography was released in 2002. In September 2023, Keane was involved in an incident at Emirates Stadium while working as a TV expert. A man was found guilty and banned from football matches.

His Dog, Triggs

Keane had a Labrador Retriever named Triggs, who passed away in 2012. He said her death affected him deeply. Triggs became famous during the 2002 World Cup incident. Keane often went for long walks with her after difficult times.

Journalists often mentioned Triggs. She was called "the most famous dog in football." She even had her own profile on Facebook. In 2009, Triggs appeared in an advertisement for Irish Guide Dogs. She was called "football's biggest canine celebrity."

Images for kids

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  Keane in 2014

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  Keane as a Manchester United F.C. player in 2005

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  Keane lifting the 1999 FA Cup as captain of Manchester United

• Roy Keane and Triggs.jpg

  Roy Keane with his dog, Triggs.