Roy Keane had an explosive rift with Sir Alex Ferguson, which led to him leaving Manchester United in 2005, but their relationship has remained unresolved for more than 20 years.
Roy Keane paid tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson (Image: ITV Sport)
Roy Keane quipped that he was “not one to hold a grudge” after placing Sir Alex Ferguson on his own football Mount Rushmore. Keane and Ferguson had not spoken to each other for more than 20 years, following the Irishman’s acrimonious exit from Manchester United in November 2005.
Keane’s contract was terminated during an explosive meeting between then-United manager Ferguson and former CEO David Gill. The summit was held after the infamous incident in which Keane took down a teammate during an interview that was not broadcast on MUTV.
The legendary midfielder leaves Old Trafford after 15 trophy-winning years, eight of which he was captain and Ferguson’s trusted lieutenant. Although Keane still has respect for his former boss, he has frequently expressed resentment over his treatment of Ferguson.
When asked by ITV to name the four most influential people in football, setting up a hypothetical Mount Rushmore, Keane named Diego Maradona, Brian Clough, Jack Charlton and finally Ferguson. “Obviously the manager I spent most of my time with, Alex Ferguson,” Keane explained.
Get the latest 2026 World Cup news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter
“(I’m) still disappointed in how he treated me in the end. But that’s life. I’m not the kind of person to hold a grudge,” she added with a wry smile.
Keane’s playful tone suggests he may be more open to burying the hatchet at Ferguson than in the past. The former United captain has previously made it clear he will never forgive him and certainly holds a grudge against his former manager.
During the Off the Ball show in Dublin in 2019, Keane declared to the audience: “I will not forgive Ferguson. The media spin, the way I obviously pissed everyone off, it was all nonsense.”
“People talk about Ferguson’s man management, which is nonsense. People say he always has Manchester United’s interests in mind.
“Darren Ferguson (son) won a medal. He was very lucky. His brother was Manchester United’s chief scout for a long time. I’m surprised his wife wasn’t involved in the staff somewhere.”
Is Roy Keane the greatest Manchester United captain ever? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane are yet to speak (Image: John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
“Darren was at Preston North End and lost his job. He had some young players on loan from Manchester United. What do you think will happen the next day?”
“They were poached from Preston. Is that the best thing for Manchester United? Please, people are talking about Ferguson’s man management, but please don’t make it all a joke.”
“When Bryan Robson left, when Steve Bruce left, I was at the club as two good servants of Manchester United, and I didn’t like the way they were treated.”
By contrast, Ferguson has rarely spoken publicly about Keene in the 21 years since. However, the Scotsman explained their bust-up in his autobiography, published in 2013.
At a press conference to launch the book, Ferguson said, “Roy exceeded the standard. He completely exceeded the standard.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £4.50
sky
Get the deal here
Sky is marking the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 20% discount on its entire range of glass TVs. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 a month when taken with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
