Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has revealed he held talks with Everton following his unceremonious Old Trafford exit.
Roy Keane held talks with David Moyes about moving to Everton after leaving Manchester United
Keane left United in November 2005 after an explosive fallout with then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The pair clashed over an unaired interview the former Republic of Ireland international did with club channel MUTV.
The former midfielder criticised his team-mates’ performances following a 4-1 defeat by Middlesbrough, a game in which he did not play in. During his time at Old Trafford, Keane won seven Premier League titles and the Champions League, among other honours.
And now speaking on the Stick to Football podcast brought to you by Sky Bet, Keane has revealed that upon his departure from United, he held talks with David Moyes about joining Everton. And while admitting a move to Goodison Park would have been a good one for him, he didn’t join because he felt he couldn’t go to another English team.
He said: “I spoke to Everton, Bolton and a couple of other teams. I had that mindset which is crazy, when a club is forcing you out the door and you can’t sign for other teams.
“Everton would’ve been a good move at the time – the location, and I had huge respect for David Moyes – but I felt I couldn’t go to another English team.”
Keane, who is now a TV pundit for Sky and ITV, subsequently went on to play at Celtic for half a season in 2006, but his career was cut short after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and was told to retire by medical professionals.
“I went to Celtic, an iconic and amazing club,” he recalled. “The stadium is amazing, but I hadn’t really seen the training ground.
“I’m going back a few years – they have a good one now. I was in the dressing room with Celtic – we got changed at Celtic Park and drove to the ground in our boots and gear.”
Before he added: “I didn’t kick a ball at Celtic – I was injured all the time. What I did enjoy – for all my comfort zone at Manchester United, and I loved every minute of my time at United – was that it was good to be in another dressing room for six months.
“The Celtic lads, there were one or two idiots but generally speaking, they are great lads. I mixed with different lads, different dynamics, and I really enjoyed my time at Celtic.”
