ROY KEANE left Manchester United fans stunned after revealing he never had any bond with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Keane, 52, spent almost 13 years at Man Utd under Ferguson, joining in 1993 before departing in late 2005.
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The Irishman also enjoyed stints at Nottingham Forest and Celtic throughout his career.
However, Keane has insisted he never had more than a professional relationship with any of the managers he played under.
While appearing on Sky Sports, Keane was asked about player relationship with managers.
He said: “I think it depends on the personality of the manager and whoever the captain of the club might be.
“From my own experience when I’ve been captain I don’t think it had to be any pals act. It never bothered me.
“I never had any cosy relationship with any of the managers I ever worked for, I just didn’t believe in it. I didn’t suit my personality.”
Keane referenced his time looking at the senior players from his time at Forest and Man Utd to reinforce his view.
Presenter David Jones asked Keane about his relationship with Ferguson, stating that it was always believed the pair had a “special bond”.
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However, Keane could be seen shaking his head at the statement before swiftly denying the claim.
He replied: “No, there was never any bond there. Absolutely not.
“People like to think we had a good relationship but I probably only had two or three private conversations with the manager in my time at the club. It was a case of get on with it and do your job.”
Micah Richards interjected by saying Ferguson had given him a responsibility.
Keane retorted: “That comes when you have played a certain amount of games.
“You gain that responsibility and get trust off the other players and obviously the manager gives you that captaincy for a reason.
“But it doesn’t mean to say you’re having cosy chats and cups of tea in the morning with a few biscuits.
“That wouldn’t have worked for me and I’m glad I was never really close to any manager like that.
“Why? Because I didn’t think there was a need for it.
“Why get close to a manager when you know at some stage they’re going to make tough decisions and in my experience you think you have done well but they throw you under the bus anyway.”
Keane’s last sentence was possibly a reference to his less than amicable split from Man Utd which had come amid rising tensions between the midfielder and club staff.
Regardless, fans were receptive to Keane’s opinion on the matter on social media.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan said: “Biggest compliment I can pay Roy Keane is that he’s clearly a man of principles.
“He might get it wrong on certain things but you can tell that his views stem from principles that he lives by everyday. And most importantly he stays consistent.”
A second said: “Roy is great.”
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A third said: “I like Roy Keane’s way of thinking.”
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