Martin Keown reveals he had a ‘little book’ and knew which opposition players would ‘crumble’ against his dark arts – and explains how he once managed to get ‘naive’ Francesco Totti sent off

Martin Keown has opened up about the dark arts of football in a special episode of Mail Sport’s podcast, It’s All Kicking Off.

Known as one of the best defenders of his era, Keown spent more than a decade at Arsenal, where he won three Premier League titles.

He developed a formidable partnership at the back with Gunners legend Tony Adams and also represented England at four major tournaments.

The 57-year-old was an extremely tough customer and was regularly involved in physical altercations with opponents, none more famous than the Battle of Old Trafford in 2003 when he took on Ruud van Nistelrooy.

And, talk to Mailsport football editor Ian Ladyman and columnist Chris Sutton explained to Keown the reasoning behind his hardline approach to the game.

Keown was one of the best defenders of his time and became known for his tough approach

“I was a contact defender, so I was going to make that first contact and it was about winning that battle,” he said.

‘It’s a shame we never see a montage of clearances, headers and tackles, but 90 percent of the players I played against were shocked by it (the dark arts).

“I had a book and I knew which characters would just crumble. Some were really up for it, like Mark Hughes, who was brilliant because you could punch him, hit him and he would stand there.

‘And he wouldn’t fall over like Ruud van Nistelrooy perhaps did, but I would have preferred a player who stood up and was physical.

“In my early days I was up against people like Mick Harford, who just tried to beat you up. I didn’t pinch it, the fire was already there.

“But I enjoyed those fights and I’d like to think I came out on top.”

Keown also explained how he would compete physically with the likes of Ian Wright, Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry in training, which he said benefited their matches.

However, some players did not react so well, and the former Arsenal defender noted how he managed to get into the shoes of a famous Italian star in March 2003.

Keown was regularly involved in battles with opponents, none more famous than his clashes with Ruud van Nistelrooy during the Battle of Old Trafford in 2003.

The ex-Arsenal defender also explained how he once managed to get Francesco Totti off the pitch

He added: ‘I played against Francesco Totti in a Champions League match and I couldn’t believe how naive he was.

‘He elbowed me within the first 30 seconds and within 20 minutes he was off the field because he reacted and was sent off.

‘They were better with 10 men (the match finished 1-1) so it turned out to be a mistake, but it is interesting to test attackers. ‘

“These are a bit of a dark arts, but there’s a lot more to it than the occasional pinch: it’s about being physical.”