Roy Keane has frightened fellow players, pundits and even journalists over the years and Mail Sport’s Ian Ladyman has revealed two of his own brilliant anecdotes about the Manchester United legend.
Talking about the first episode of the brand new It all starts podcast, Ladyman spoke to Chris Sutton about a few encounters with the Irishman.
One was during the 52-year-old’s playing days and the other came when Keane released his telling autobiography just over a decade ago in 2012.
Here’s how the conversation went as Ladyman and Sutton discussed Keane and the various effects his intimidating personality can have…
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Ian Ladyman (L) and Chris Sutton spoke to Roy Keane on Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Keane terrified Ladyman without harming him at an airport
Lady: “I will say Roy Keane is one of the few people who scared me one day simply by ignoring me!
“I was at an airport and I think we must have been at the same game on TV and I saw him coming the other way. I wouldn’t suggest that Roy remembers who I am when he played for United and covered them, but maybe he knew my face.
“I just knew he was going to ignore me, and the hair stood on the back of my neck because I didn’t know how he was going to do it, deliberately look the other way or give me one of those looks.” You’re a little hesitant to criticize him, aren’t you!?’
Sutton: “No it’s not me, he’s always been good with me, when I played against him they usually beat us, that’s probably why!
“He came to Celtic for a few weeks when Gordon Strachan took over and I suppose the perception of him in the dressing room was a really strong, fiery character, a great player, a great leader and that he would come and be really vocal.
‘He definitely wasn’t. He came in, kept his head down, trained hard and was pretty quiet. I’m not saying it surprised me a lot, people have a problem with Roy Keane because he’s outspoken with his opinion, which isn’t a bad thing.
“You know, people have always talked about Craig Bellamy in the past and he rubbed people the wrong way, but that’s just because Keane and Bellamy had really high standards and demanded that of other people, I don’t have a problem with that. ‘
Lady: “I think of all the players I’ve seen play in the 25 years I’ve been covering the sport, Keane is probably the best I’ve seen.
Keane remains the best player Ladyman has seen in his football days
Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast has launched with a Premier League preview
Suton: ‘Coincidentally, he’s listening to this!’
Lady: “Every journalist who covered Roy Keane at the time has a story about Roy Keane, which I’m going to tell because I can, I’m basically in charge here!
“When Keane’s second book was published about 10 years ago, we all went to Dublin for the launch, he went through that geography teacher phase with the beard and the tweed jacket and everything.
“He got on stage promoting the book and holding a press conference and killed absolutely everyone he could think of because he was there promoting the book. He killed Fergie, Mick McCarthy, Alf Inge Haaland, classic Keane form. And then it comes down to doing a little breakout session with the dailies and we sat around a round table.
“There had to be two people on either side of him and I was one of them. We’re talking about the book, stories, bits and pieces and I just look at him and say, “I was pretty interested to see you admit in the book that the first single you ever bought was Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon .”
The United legend had a fearsome reputation and carried it with him beyond football
Keane clashes here with his own teammate Peter Schmeichel (center)
“He just looked at me and said, ‘I was 11,’ he didn’t take his eyes off me. Then he said… “What was yours?” I thought “He’s got me now”, I said, “It was, Does your mother know Abba”.
He just said, “Why the hell am I not surprised”. The whole table just burst out laughing! Because he had me there I walked straight into that trap, that withering look he gives you, which you usually get at home when you left your socks on the floor or forgot to open the kitchen door and the dog peed on the lino or something!’
That withering look was part of Keane’s weaponry, from the field to the dugout and now the television studio.
The widely respected pundit has become must-watch TV, but no doubt a few of his colleagues will feel the same heat as the esteemed Mail Sport journalist over the course of the upcoming season.
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, with a preview show on Thursdays and every week this season.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music And Spotify