Roy Keane's biggest outbursts - ranked

When it comes to punditry royalty, few grace television screens quite like Roy Keane.

Never far away from an iconic line or a withering put-down, the former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder has become a mainstay on channels like Sky Sports and ITV for his everyman takes and - of course - his stressed out meltdowns whenever the Red Devils implode.

With that in mind, here are the occasions where Keane has let the public know what he really thinks.

11. "He didn't have the baby."

"Unless he's breastfeeding he should be OK."

Then the Republic of Ireland's assistant manager to Martin O'Neill, Roy didn't see any reason for namesake Robbie to miss a game after his wife gave birth to a baby boy.

10. "No Giggsy? I'm stunned."

"Giggsy's not going in my team."
"Oh, really...really?"

Ryan Giggs is hardly everyone's favourite cup of tea but Keane's reaction when Jamie Carragher left the Welshman out of a combined Liverpool 2020 and Man Utd 1999 XI showed him at his most flabbergasted.

9. "I almost dislike Man Utd."

After watching Man Utd throw away a 3-0 lead and almost lose an FA Cup semi-final to Championship side Coventry - with some pathetic antics from Antony thrown in for good measure - it was hardly surprising to hear Keane lose his patience with his old side.

"[Harry] Maguire got interviewed after the game and said, 'We showed great character'. I don't see character in this group of players, I really don't. I'm getting to the stage where I'm almost disliking them."

Eesh.

8. "What a baby!"

"Robertson, what a baby! What a big baby...baby!"

It was definitely odd to see an assistant referee land an elbow on a footballer, but Liverpool defender Andy Robertson wasn't fooling Keano, who repeated the word 'baby' until it was greeted by roaring laughs in the Sky box.

7. "They have a few drinks and the prawn sandwiches."

"Away from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch."

Keane wasn't happy with the support Man Utd fans provided during a must-win Champions League clash with Dynamo Kyiv in 2000. They scrapped their way to a 1-0 win but Keane still went after the home support, suggesting they were more focused on the bougie snacks on offer.

"I don't think some of the people who come to Old Trafford can spell 'football', never mind understand it."

Man of the people? Yep, that's Keano!

6. "He's almost like a League Two player!"

"Not just today, I think his laying stuff off, headers, whatever it might be - in front of goal he's the best in the world - but for his general play for such a player it is so poor...he has to improve that."

Saying a robot goalscorer has the general skill of a player in League Two is probably a battle Keano won't win. Erling Haaland scores goals for Manchester City and will score goals until he calls time on his career.

Maybe Keano just has a bone of contention with the Haalands? We'll get to that in a moment...

5. "I can't be f*****g signing that."

"It went to his voicemail, 'Hi it's Robbie - whazzup!' like the Budweiser ad. I never called him back. I thought: 'I can't be f*****g signing that'."

Legend has it Keane was interested in signing Robbie Savage when he was Sunderland manager but was instantly put off by the Welshman's voicemail message.

In fairness, he has a point.

4. "I'd grab him and say, 'why are you playing Fred?'"

"If Ole walked in here now I'd grab him and say 'Why are you playing Fred?'"

Brazilian midfielder Fred had his moments at Man Utd but so often left a lot to be desired in the middle of the park, a position Keane knows plenty about.

The Red Devils forked out close to £50m for Fred but Keane was rarely impressed by what he saw.

3. "I might smash into somebody, just to make me feel better."

"I've often had it when I've not been at the races in a game and I go 'you know what, what I might do is go and smash into somebody' just to make me feel better."

Man Utd could do little more than wilt in the face of superior neighbours Man City back in November 2021, managing only one shot on target in a 2-0 defeat.

His vengeful and premeditated smashing of Alf-Inge Haaland was a little different and more reprehensible, but Erling's dad wasn't the only player to be on the end of a violent Keane reducer over the years.

2. "I would be swinging punches at that guy."

"Maguire! And De Gea!"

Roy understood the United Kingdom's desperate need for entertainment when Project Restart commenced during the Covid-19 pandemic. As luck would have it, he was poked into action by some less-than-convincing goalkeeping and defending from David de Gea and Harry Maguire during a 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

His harsh words on the Spaniard - "I am sick to death of this goalkeeper" - were challenged by Patrice Evra but Keane stuck by his sentiment, labelling De Gea the most overrated shot-stopper in the world.

1. "You can stick your World Cup up your a**e."

"Who do you think you are having meetings about me? You were a crap player and you are a crap manager. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country and you're not even Irish you English c***!"

Keane has a few icy relationships with his former managers and there's absolutely no love lost between the Irishman and Mick McCarthy, who led their campaign to the 2002 World Cup.

Unless you're completely oblivious to international politics, you'll know relations between England and Ireland haven't always been smooth to say the very least. Keane made that abundantly clear with this iconic put-down of the former Wolves boss, though it was in other areas that the midfielder had been frustrated before finally exploding.

Ah, sure look. Ain't that the way of the modern world?

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