ITV4 WILL TOMORROW air the much-anticipated ‘Best of Enemies’ documentary about Roy Keane’s rivalry with Patrick Vieira.
And while the former Man Utd skipper squares up to his former Arsenal counterpart and rival, Alex Ferguson also gets it.
Keane says he has only now started to return to Old Trafford since Fergie retired and described his relationship with the former Old Trafford manager as ‘non-existent’.
Keane said of Ferguson, now a director at United: “Everything is about control and power. He’s still striving for it now even though he’s not manager. There’s massive ego involved in that.”
The Corkman says he lost respect for Ferguson when Keane was accused of a power grab at Old Trafford.
“The manager accused me of trying to manage Manchester United behind his back — but managing the dressing room, and pulling up players who stepped out of line, was part of my job,” he said. “Nothing surprises me these days with that man.”
The Ireland assistant manager also said the praise he was treated too after his now iconic display against Juventus in a Champions League semi-final, second leg was insulting.
It was “like praising the postman for delivering your letters,” said Keane.
Keane admitted he had cried in his car when his United career came to an abrupt end over a candid interview he gave to the club’s in-house television station criticising his team-mates.
He said: “Of course I was upset: I did shed a few tears in my car for about two minutes.
“But I also told myself I had to get on with my life. I walked out with nothing, I had no club lined up and I was injured. I told David Gill I had been injured playing for Man United.
“I could have played for Manchester United easily for another couple of years.”
Keane said Ferguson’s strongest trait was his “ruthlessness”, while labelling “loyalty” his biggest weakness.
Ferguson said in his autobiography that his authority at Old Trafford would have been undermined had he not forced Keane out in 2005.
The Scot said Keane had “slaughtered” several of his team-mates in the MUTV interview. Ferguson said Keane invited the United players to watch the interview, but that the decision backfired when several senior players, including Dutch duo Edwin van der Sar and Ruud van Nistelrooy, rounded on the captain.
Ferguson said at a press conference promoting the release of his book in October: “‘We had to react to the situation so quickly because his actions were so quick. For one reason or another he decides to go and criticise his team-mates.
“We decided we had to do something. The meeting in the room was horrendous. I just couldn’t lose my control in this situation.
“Throughout my career I have been strong enough to deal with important issues like that. Roy overstepped his mark. There was no other thing we could do.”
Keane told ITV in October: “I do remember having conversations with the manager when I was at the club about loyalty and, in my opinion, I don’t think he knows the meaning of the word.”
The programme will air at 10pm, ITV4 on Tuesday
-additional reporting AFP
