Roy Keane played every match as if it were a war. The Irishman was Manchester United's captain, enforcer, leader and conscience. When he played, United were a different team. When he did not, they missed him badly, and he was probably the hardest man the Premier League has seen.
Turin, 1999
The match that defines him came in the 1999 Champions League semi-final against Juventus. Keane was booked, which meant he would miss the final. He knew it, and he still ran the game. The performance is regularly listed among the best individual displays the competition has produced, and it was about as selfless as captaincy gets.
The rest of the file
- Captained Manchester United to 7 Premier League titles and 1 Champions League trophy
- His rivalry with Patrick Vieira produced some of the most famous confrontations in Premier League history
- Sent home from the 2002 World Cup after a fierce argument with Ireland manager Mick McCarthy
He was driven and obsessive, and opponents found him horrible to play against. Teammates were not always spared either. For a winner of his kind, that was part of the job.
Keane belongs on the short list for hardest captain who ever lived.
Tomorrow: number 25.
