1. He was never afraid to get stuck in
2. He never backed down from an argument
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Upon meeting Liverpool’s John Scales in a bar: “You, Scales, you’re rubbish as well, with your England B cap, you’re nowt, rubbish.”
3. His performance against Juventus in the Champions League semi-final (even after he knew he’d miss the final)
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4. His mistrust of the prawn sandwich brigade
“Away from home our fans are fantastic, I’d call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don’t realise what’s going on out on the pitch. I don’t think some of the people who come to Old Trafford can spell ‘football’, never mind understand it.”
5. Despite all his success, he never forgot where he came from
6. He never accepted low standards
7. Even his own teammates weren’t safe from his rage if they didn’t live up to his high standards
8. He played an integral role in one of the club’s most successful periods ever, winning numerous accolades including 7 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups and 1 Champions League
9. He was a fans’ player
10. His competitive edge
“If I was putting Roy Keane out there to represent Manchester United on a one against one, we’d win the Derby, the National, the boat race and anything else. It’s an incredible thing he’s got.” – Sir Alex Ferguson.
11. His infectious passion
12. His humble nature
“No one will remember me in 20 or 30 years time. In comparison to George Best, I won’t be remembered. And that’s fine – why should I be?”
13. His performance in the 1996 FA Cup final when he dominated in midfield
14. Getting a taxi to show him the way to The Cliff before his first training session to ensure he wouldn’t get lost, thus showing his professionalism from day one
15. His sense of humour/teasing of a young Danny Welbeck
16. Even after past disagreements with players, he was always willing to forgive and forget
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17. His knowledge of the game
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18. His brutal honesty
On Rio Ferdinand: “Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar.”
On United’s younger players: “We have one or two young players who have done very little in the game. They need to remember that and not slack off. They need to remember just how lucky we all are to play for Manchester United and show that out on the pitch.”
