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He was a bit too honest for his own good. In the book, talking about the infamous tackle on Alf-Inge Haland, he revealed that he’d decided before the game that he would injure Haland as an act of revenge over an incident a few years earlier. It is probably the only time in human history a sportsperson was handed a fine and a ban based on confessions in a book. Another notable incident was the bust-up at the 2002 World Cup where he left the Ireland team and headed back home before the tournament even began. He was to be their captain. He says that when the Irish team arrived at their base, he found that facilities were not up to mark. The hotel, the training, the attitude in the camp, it was just not intense enough.
Being used to the top-class professional environment at United, the overwhelming sense of mediocrity he felt in the Irish camp-you know, the sort of vibe many IITH guys have at Inter IIT-made him wonder if they were there on vacation or to win the World Cup. Tempers frayed, he told off manager Mick McCarthy in no uncertain words and that was that. He was off.
Another issue he lingers on is the Champions League success of 1999. After that mythical performance in Turin, as he watched United pull off the great escape in the final, sitting in the stands he honestly wasn’t as delighted as the Manchester United captain ought to have been. Unlike Terry in 2012, he was nowhere near the trophy presentation. He just didn’t feel he deserved to lift the trophy. In subsequent days, his teammates made statements like “I don’t care if I don’t win a football match ever again”. This just irritated him further. For Roy Keane, the hunger for success was never quenched.
All the other footballer autobiographies I subsequently read followed a standard template. Boy grows up in a middle class background, works his way into the limelight with his talent, misses family when abroad on matches, marries, has a family, and the book ends on a particularly positive note. Like Santiago bloody Muñez. Keane’s book wasn’t a Bollywood commercial entertainer like this. Because he wasn’t like the rest. He was an intense man that one just did not mess with. Unless one was Patrick Vieira. Just by reading his book, I became a lifelong fan of Roy Keane, the guy I hardly watched play.
Looking back, I feel these books had a major influence on me as they got me hooked to reading about sport. I realised that sport was not only something that could be enjoyed by playing or watching, but also reading. In addition to this, they cemented my nascent love for football. I’ve read many sports books in later years, and I have to say cricket seems to produce more skilful writing than football, but I seem to have good luck with firsts. The first pornstar I watched seven years ago and the first sports books I read 9-10 years ago, will always remain among my favourites.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and do not reflect the opinions/ position of Sportskeeda in any way.
