#3 Roy Keane, Manchester United
After the inspirational Eric Cantona retired, the tough-as-boots Roy Keane took over as the captain of Manchester United and under his tenure, the Red Devils became England’s most feared club in the modern era.
Keane’s untimely injury in his first season as the captain led to his team losing the title to Arsenal (an outcome pundits claim would have been different had Keane been fit). After his return, the team won three consecutive league titles and it was under the Irish international’s guidance that Manchester United became the only English team to achieve the historic treble in the 98-99 season.
One of the best players in league history, Keane’s influence in the middle of the park was unparalleled and his rivalry with Arsenal counterpart Vieira is the stuff of legends. In his time as the leader of the Old Trafford outfit, the Irishman won four Premier League titles (the joint most league titles to this day in the PL era), 2 FA Cups, one Champions League trophy and one Intercontinental Cup (the FIFA Club World Cup today).
Both as a player and as a leader, the personality of Keane remains unmatched even to this day and it is in no doubt that without his ideology, Manchester United would not be the club they are today.
