Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes that Roy Keane would not be a successful captain in today’s game because of his “poisonous tongue”.
And fellow Old Trafford hero Andy Cole claims that if he was playing today, the Irishman “couldn’t lead his team”.
The two were in conversation on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, where the former United centre-back had his say on Keane’s uncompromising style of captaincy in the wake of his coruscating attack on current club captain Bruno Fernandes.
In a furious rant last month Keane claimed “talent is not enough” for the Portuguese, whose leadership was called into question despite repeatedly being the difference-maker in a terrible season for the Red Devils.
Ferdinand said: “I think players today would just shut down with someone like Roy. I saw Roy, even with players that weren’t in the first team, almost end their careers before it started with some of the things he said.
“His tongue was poisonous at times. You’d have to step back and laugh, by yourself, and then come out and say ‘come on man, that’s a bit out of order’.”
Keane was infamous for his short fuse and sky-high expectations, and while his methods may not fly today, he certainly dragged United to phenomenal success under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The former Nottingham Forest man won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League trophy in his time at Old Trafford, where he doubtless made as many enemies as friends.
Ferdinand recalled a particularly harrowing example of Keane’s antagonistic approach: “I remember Michael Stewart, a young kid at the time, a nice guy, talented Scottish footballer, everyone was saying he’ll be the next one that comes through.
“I remember Roy said to him one day, ‘in a couple of years do you know where you’re gonna be? You’re gonna be a pub team player.’ He’s looking at Roy Keane, his hero probably, and Roy has just destroyed him. I saw the life draining out of his body.”
After making a handful of appearances for United, Stewart went on to build a modest career for himself in Scotland with Hibernian and then Heart of Midlothian.
Cole agreed with Ferdinand, noting that these are “different generations.” He said: “The way Roy used to lead back then, if Roy was playing now, he couldn’t lead his team.”
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
