Patrick Vieira was one of the best midfielders the Premier League has had. He was also one of the angriest. Before Arsenal met Manchester United, the Highbury tunnel could turn into a battlefield, and Vieira and Roy Keane were usually at the front of it. Sometimes the fighting started before the ball was kicked.
The midfielder, listed under France and Senegal, played from 1993 to 2011 for Cannes, AC Milan, Arsenal, Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City. His file:
- The tunnel confrontation with Keane at Highbury in 2005 was caught on camera.
- He was sent off in more than one North London derby for violent conduct and aggressive challenges.
- He stamped on opponents regularly, including one well-known stamp on a Manchester United player.
- The rivalry with Keane defined an era, and it also gave the league some of its ugliest moments.
How good was Vieira when he kept his head?
Good enough to be the heartbeat of Arsenal's Invincibles and to win the World Cup with France. His short fuse still cost his team more times than anyone could count. The tunnel row with Keane is the best-known confrontation in Premier League history, and in most of their clashes it was Vieira who started it.
Vieira and Keane in the Highbury tunnel
Tomorrow: villain number 14.
