Summary
- Roy Keane picked his ultimate Manchester United team of the Premier League era in 2022 and left out Paul Scholes.
- Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney were just two of the club legends picked by Keane.
- United’s legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was omitted by Keane as the team’s coach.
No conversation about Manchester United’s best players of the Premier League era is complete without a mention of the talismanic Roy Keane. The Irishman led by example throughout his hugely successful 12-year spell at Old Trafford, raising the standards of all those around him in the process.
Keane demanded nothing less than 100 percent effort from his teammates in every match and training session. New signings knew they had to earn the captain’s respect in order to succeed. It’s no exaggeration to suggest that the Red Devils wouldn’t have won as much silverware throughout the 1990s and early-2000s without Keane in midfield.
Yes, Sir Alex Ferguson had lots of quality footballers in his ranks, but none were as influential as Keane. Now a Sky Sports pundit after trying his hand at management, the no-nonsense midfielder appeared on Monday Night Football (MNF) in 2022 and named his best Manchester United XI of the Premier League era.
There were some controversial omissions. Paul Scholes, widely regarded as one of the greatest English midfielder in football history, was left out. And Ferguson, who Keane still holds a grudge against after the pair fell out in 2005, wasn’t even named as the team’s manager.
Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel
Games with Keane: 204
Despite his Manchester City tenure, Peter Schmeichel is still adored among the Old Trafford faithful. Keane and the ex-Denmark international didn’t always see eye to eye, but the former still chose the large-statured shot-stopper to be his pick between the posts.
“He was very good. Not as good as everyone thought, but he was very, very good. I obviously have good memories of him. He was a good character in the dressing room. Me and Peter weren’t best of mates – actually far from it – but the most important thing is that I had huge respect for him and he produced in big moments and helped us get over the line in big matches. Peter would produce and help us win trophies. He was not getting called upon a lot but when he did he would produce. He made some excellent saves.”
Right-Back: Gary Neville
Games with Keane: 322
Known for his self-deprecating manner as a pundit, fans forget how talented Gary Neville was. A one-club man, the lovable Englishman was a fabled part of the famous Class of ’92 and ended up making north of 600 appearances for the club – 322 of those were alongside Keane.
“I give Nev a lot of stick but I will go with Nev. You have to have quality to do what Gary did. He was a very good player and a really good teammate. When those five or six come over to join training, you knew they were here to stay because they were really good players. I think Gary used to go to bed at half eight every evening and we would criticise him but he was a really top professional player. He properly loved the club and that came through. We all embraced Gary. We all liked him. Obviously, that has changed over the years…”
Centre-Back: Jaap Stam
Games with Keane: 106
Man-mountain Jaap Stam, signed from Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven, will be forever remembered for having one of the best debut seasons in Premier League history during the club’s treble-winning campaign. The imperious Dutchman may have only played 106 games alongside Keane, though his short stint was enough for him to stamp his authority on the Irishman.
“I could not leave Jaap Stam out. OK, he has not played as many games as the other lads but he was big and strong, brilliant one-v-ones. Did he have any real weaknesses? He could head it, he could leap, he could read the game, he was aggressive. He was a decent lad. I got on really well with him. I was not surprised when he left. He’d had a bad injury and when you are at a top club players do come and go. But he was a brilliant player for Manchester United.”
Centre-Back: Gary Pallister
Games with Keane: 142
Gary Pallister is often forgotten. The 20-time English champions have boasted some of the finest centre-backs to grace the division, but the 22-cap Englishman – time and time again – finds himself behind the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and the aforementioned Stam. On MNF, Keane shed light on the pair’s relationship together, having featured 144 times alongside one another.
“The other one was an issue but I have gone with Gary Pallister. Brucey was a brilliant player but you have to leave someone out. Rio was obviously a good athlete and read the game well but my relationship with Pally was pretty good as well. Certain lads at United go out of their way to help you. He was obviously a very good player. Always looked exhausted but I would have him in there.”
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Left-Back: Denis Irwin
Games with Keane: 298
While many would assume Patrice Evra would be Keane’s first choice left-back, he opted for the seasoned Denis Irwin instead. Capable of playing on either side of the defence, Cork-born Irwin was the perfect professional for Ferguson and his talent shone through on a weekly basis.
“Denis Irwin every day of the week. I roomed with him for Manchester United and Ireland. He could play at right-back, he was right-footed, but I have put him in at left-back. Brilliant trainer, rarely injured, turned up for all the big matches, good at set-pieces. If he was playing now, we are talking about the modern full-back, Denis was up there with the best.”
Right Wing: David Beckham
Games with Keane: 260
A brilliant player, in the words of Keane, David Beckham’s talent is often overshadowed by his star status in the world, not even within the football echo chamber. The former Three Lions captain was able to put a ball on a six pence for his teammates, whether that was in England or across Europe, but Keane lent some kind words about his work ethic, too.
“On the right side I have to go with Becks. He was a brilliant player. Where do you start? He could get an assist, he could get you goals, he was good at set-pieces, he could run all day for you. He had to with Nev behind him.
“Becks was a bit younger, he was from London, he loved his gear, loved his cars. But what you look for from a young player, are they training properly and are they giving everything for the cause? Becks did that. I didn’t care about the other bits. If they were a distraction then you pull a young player aside. But he put a shift in.”
Central Midfield: Bryan Robson
Games with Keane: 20
No room for Scholesy for Keane. In the ginger-haired midfielder’s place, Bryan Robson is his pick instead. Affectionately monikered ‘Captain Marvel’, the now Manchester United advisor was fiercely competitive and is remembered for his expert ball-willing skills.
“Bryan Robson has to go in there. Bryan was a great player for Manchester United, full of courage and scored some big goals for Manchester United when the club was not at its best. I played against Robbo a few times at Forest. It was difficult because he was tenacious. The word I think of with Robbo is courageous, getting in the box but dead brave.”
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Central Midfield: Paul Ince
Games with Keane: 77
London-born Paul Ince, who also played for Liverpool during his playing days, played a mere 77 times in the midfield with Keane – but that was enough to see him picked ahead of some Manchester United greats. A hard-working ace, capable of fulfilling responsibilities both defensively and offensively, Ince was integral to the early stage of Ferguson’s success-ladened reign in M16.
“Incey was a very good player, maybe tarnished his United reputation with him playing for Liverpool or whatever. There is a lot of talk about Incey being the Guv’nor and that was held against him but that was just banter. There was no nastiness with that. Incey was a really good teammate and I thought he was a very good player.
“It was tough leaving Scholesy out and Butty, brilliant players and brilliant characters. But I just thought Incey in that first season I was there, when we won the double, he was brilliant in midfield. He was a good team-mate to have next to you in the trenches. He could head it, he could defend, he could get you a goal. And you know what, I enjoyed his company.”
Left Wing: Ryan Giggs
Games with Keane: 379
The Premier League’s all-time assist maker, Ryan Giggs, is a bonafide Manchester United legend. Keane saw first-hand how talented the Welshman was on 379 occasions – and is better suited than anyone to wax lyrical about the winger. As one of the greatest wingers in Champions League history, there was no way another left-winger was taking his place in Keane’s ‘ultimate’ Red Devils XI.
“You cannot pick a Manchester United team and leave Giggsy out. When I hear managers talking about players being consistent then Giggsy has to go in. Giggsy was in the team before me and had a lot of commitments off the field, he was a superstar in a sense. But his priority was his football.”
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo
Games with Keane: 68
When a fresh-faced Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the club, Keane would have been one of the first dressing room figures to address any issues. The talent was abundantly there, but any signs of poor attitude would have been settled early on. Following his first Old Trafford stint, the Portuguese talisman went on to become one of the greatest footballers to ever grace the turf – and is a worthy inclusion in Keane’s best-ever Manchester United side.
“When he came to United, he was still a kid. But you could just see the potential in him, the work rate, the desire. Did we all think he would go on and achieve the things he did in terms of the goals, the assists? No. But did we think he had a chance to become one of the greatest players ever? Yeah. A lot can happen. Injuries. Distractions. But look at Ronaldo. For all his off-the-field stuff, I don’t think it was ever a distraction. We all liked him. He had that innocence. He has been amazing and I still love watching him.”
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Forward: Wayne Rooney
Games with Keane: 39
Quite possibly the greatest servant for Manchester United, Wayne Rooney burst on the scene with a hat-trick showing in the Champions League. The rest is history. Keane and the Liverpool-born marksman, adored for his tireless energy and goalscoring prowess, lined up alongside each other on 39 different occasions thanks to their chasm in age – but Rooney was never going to be omitted, was he?
“Wayne was a bit different. He had been at Everton and played a lot of games. He was chirpier, he was a Scouser. I would not say I took to him as quickly as Ronaldo. But you just knew he was going to be a brilliant player. I had one or two disagreements with him. He took the remote control to watch X-Factor when I was watching the rugby league. But that was great. You need those disagreements, to let off steam.”
Manager: Ron Atkinson
Games in charge of United: 260
When asked by Jamie Carragher to then name his manager, Keane replied all while sporting a wry smile: “Erm… big Ron Atkinson,” he said. For those who are aware of the former engine room operator’s relationship with Ferguson, it should be no surprise the latter gets snubbed.
In terms of Atkinson, the Englishman – now in his 80s – oversaw 260 games in the Old Trafford hotseat between 1981 and 1986. From those outings, he won 124 times, losing 62 times and drawing the other 74. With a points per game ratio of 1.72, Liverpool-born Atkinson won the FA Cup on two occasions (1982/83 and 1984/85) but never got his hands on the first division trophy. Interestingly, Keane never played under him.
|
Roy Keane’s Greatest Man United’s Teammates XI |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Player |
Matches |
Points per game |
Minutes |
|
Goalkeeper |
Peter Schmeichel |
204 |
2.11 |
16,937 |
|
Right-back |
Gary Neville |
322 |
2.00 |
25,714 |
|
Centre-back |
Jaap Stam |
106 |
1.99 |
8,900 |
|
Centre-back |
Gary Pallister |
142 |
2.17 |
11,544 |
|
Left-back |
Denis Irwin |
265 |
2.08 |
21,434 |
|
Right-midfield |
David Beckham |
260 |
1.99 |
20,058 |
|
Centre-midfield |
Bryan Robson |
20 |
2.10 |
1,117 |
|
Centre-midfield |
Paul Ince |
77 |
2.16 |
6,370 |
|
Left-midfield |
Ryan Giggs |
379 |
2.09 |
27,785 |
|
Centre-forward |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
68 |
2.07 |
4,392 |
|
Centre-forward |
Wayne Rooney |
39 |
2.05 |
2,870 |
|
Manager |
Ron Atkinson |
|||
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