by Roy Keane’s tenure at Manchester United came to an abrupt end after a brief but explosive 10-minute meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson and then Chief Executive David Gill.
The iconic United skipper parted ways with the club in November 2005 by mutual consent, bringing his 12-year spell under Ferguson to an abrupt end. Keane’s departure was unexpected and left him without a club until January of the following year.
His contract was coming to an end, and there was no sign that the Red Devils were planning to offer an extension. The situation escalated when Keane gave a scathing review of his team-mates on MUTV after a heavy 4-1 loss to Middlesbrough, angering Ferguson.
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Keane has now revealed the fateful meeting he had with Ferguson and Gill, along with his lawyer, where it was made clear his services were no longer needed – a decision he accepted without argument, says the Mirror .
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Keane said: “People have an idea of how I left Manchester United but there were things that went on the summer before. I’m looking back on a lot of things – and I may never understand, I may never succeed and I’m okay with that too.
“Maybe as I get a bit older I’ll look back and go, ‘Well, maybe it makes sense’, but I still don’t understand when I hear a manager going ‘I’ll throw the which is the right thing for the club to do. ‘, I argued a bit going, ‘What about the players who did well for you?
“I’m not saying look after them, I’m saying how can we not sit down? I need to remind people, I could not go to anyone, I left October, November – I came back from a broken leg I broke at Anfield, I couldn’t go to another team – how can a club not sit down with someone, and I saw a lot of people leave on bad terms, and that’s fine life.”
Keane was outspoken in his criticism of Ferguson’s handling of player departures, particularly worrying about his tendency to make snap decisions to part with players who were disaffected or past their prime. Prominent stars such as Paul Ince, Jaap Stam, and David Beckham are among those who cut short their time at Old Trafford after falling out with the legendary Scotland manager.
Keane continued: “Listen, nobody’s died, but I’m passing statements saying Ferguson you can go [to another club]’, I’m getting all this feedback, ‘there are cash flow problems’. You know when you’re talking about terminating your contract and all that, and I’m looking at them, ‘Really?’ And I got my back up as well. Listen, now that I’m older, if I were to give someone advice about me [back then]I’d go, ‘Hey step back for the week, take it all in’.
“My solicitor, who did all my deals, was the calmest and most relaxed man you could meet a very good man who knew him well but he almost fell out of his chair. Ferguson and [David] Gill went ‘We have come to the end and here is a statement’. I was like ‘Alright’ and he was like ‘What?!’. I said ‘Leave Mike’ and they went out and I said ‘Yes, I’m out of here’, and he couldn’t believe it within 10 minutes.
“I just think if people think that bit of you, I’m not going to go, ‘Well you know, I’m going to see my contract out’, believe it or not, I thought too much of the club. It could to be gone easily, ‘Is that what you think of me? But I’ll see out my contract, I’ll come in every day’
“I wouldn’t have been a nuisance, I wouldn’t have been a guy all over the place but I might have gone, ‘I’ll go in the summer’, as it’s clear in retrospect what happened with Ireland with the Cup the World, the first thing people go to then is, ‘Oh, listen, he’s lost the story again’. , we think you have come to the end’.
“Looking back, [I could have said]”We have come to the end, yeah, but I have a contract with Manchester United just like you do with United’. You are aware of principles but when something like that is in front of me, I am like disgusted with people , I go ‘I don’t even want to see you again’.
“I went, ‘It’s over’. They hadn’t terminated me yet, and Mike was like, ‘I can’t believe it’s happening’ and then statements came out, then I found out that day that I was able to go to another team so I couldn’t play until January.
“If I had known, I would have said, ‘I’ll train with the reserves and I’ll be fit’, so I left Manchester United without playing for two or three months with a leg broken, and I couldn’t.” Don’t go to anyone until January.
Keane signed a contract 18 months later with Celtic in the following transfer window. However, he was unable to join Celtic Park until January 1st, which in retrospect suggested he might have been more beneficial if he didn’t leave when he did.
