Roy Keane record set straight by Paul Scholes as he calls out problem he 'hates'

Irish Daily Mirror

a day ago

Despite forming a reputation as one of the Premier League's all-time enforcers, Roy Keane was that and a whole lot more.
That's according to former Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes, who has revealed the one Keane stereotype that really boils his blood.
Keane, 53, arrived at Old Trafford in 1993 for what was then a British transfer record fee of £3.75million. The Cork man had already built up a renown for his tough-tackling methods at Nottingham Forest, leading some to believe he fitted the mould of a traditional defensive midfielder.
But Scholes, who was part of the same United squad that won a historic treble in 1999, has jumped to his old comrade's defence. And the English legend has suggested nothing could be further from the truth, insisting that misconception has sprung from the more modern habit of wanting to pigeonhole players with certain labels.
"People talk about this 'No. 6 role', don't they? The [Claude] Makelele role," he said on The Overlap Fan Debate. "And I think a lot of people see Roy as that a little bit. He was anything but that.
"As a central midfielder for Manchester United, you couldn't just stay there [sitting deep] and let everybody else play. You had to be involved in everything. You had to be able to defend. You had to be able to attack. He [Keane] was unbelievable. A running machine, but with quality with it.
"He'd do everything. He'd overlap his winger both sides. He'd sprint forward, he sprinted back, he led the team, almost in a Bryan Robson type of way. That's why I hate all this, 'He's a No. 8. He's a No. 6.' [It] gets on my nerves. Especially as a central midfield player, you should be able to do everything."
It's easy to forget Mayfield-born Keane first earned Sir Alex Ferguson's attention as a much more attack-minded talent. The Republic of Ireland great scored 33 goals in 154 appearances for Forest, including a career-high 14 finishes during the 1991/92 campaign.
He was perhaps shoehorned into a more defensive role while playing for the national team, more out of necessity than anything else. The long-time Republic of Ireland captain was widely viewed as the gem of the squad but had to take on more protective responsibilities than were required at United.
Scholes, 50, went on to use Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo as a template for comparison against his former skipper. Caicedo played every league fixture for the Blues this season, but Scholes questioned whether his all-round impact made enough of a difference.
"Was there much quality? Did he create a lot? Did he control loads of games for Chelsea? I don't remember that," he continued. "I think there's an era now, with midfield players especially, where you can go through seasons and games without really contributing a lot...That's what Roy Keane did [contributed in all areas]. And he'd do it in this [current United] team as well."
There's no telling what incumbent United boss Ruben Amorim might do for a player of Keane's profile today. The current United squad is crying out for leadership in all areas, not to mention top-tier footballers willing to give their utmost for the club.
The Red Devils are in yet another transitional period as Amorim gets to work moulding his squad in his first summer transfer window with United. And the midfield is a particular area of focus, with current captain Bruno Fernandes among those being linked with the exit.
A record low Premier League finish of 15th has left the club without European football next season and a general gloom around Old Trafford. And many fans are reminded of Keane's contributions across his 12-year stay at United as they yearn for another talent of that calibre.