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Roy Keane: Sir Alex Ferguson made millions, got a statue and a stand named after him... to criticise those players who brought him success was wrong

* Keane gave brutal assessment of Sir Alex Ferguson at book launch in Dublin
* He wanted to give his response to 'lies' told by Ferguson in his book
* Former Manchester United midfielder said he was 'not sure' if he would ever forgive his old manager
* Keane used the words 'nonsense' and 'lies' throughout press conference

Roy Keane did not waste his words. His book The Second Half was an opportunity to respond to the 'lies', with the clear implication being that some of them had been told by Sir Alex Ferguson in the book he published last year.

If we thought Keane had already had his say on Ferguson in the book, we were very much mistaken. In the 15-minute press conference he gave at the Aviva Stadium here in Dublin on Thursday afternoon came a far more brutal assessment of his former manager at Manchester United.

'Nonsense' and 'lies' were words he used repeatedly and his greatest complaint was the way, in his view, Ferguson criticised not just him but the United team-mates who brought the club so much success. Players, Keane said, who taught him more than any manager he had worked with.


Roy Keane was at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Thursday to promote his autobiography The Second Half


The former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder is mobbed by the world's media on Thursday


The Second Half is Keane's latest autobiography. He released his first book back in 2002


Keane, sporting his now customary beard, presents his new book to the world's press at the Aviva Stadium

He was asked if he would ever forgive Ferguson. 'Good question,' he said. 'Not sure. Football's a small world and eventually you think you might cross paths again.

'The problem I had, when you're writing and reflecting on something … we had our disagreement … but it's afterwards when people start coming out with all sorts of nonsense. We had a great team that entertained a lot of people. So to criticise people like that, not just me, people who brought him a lot of success, I thought it was wrong.'

And then the killer line from Keane. 'He made his millions, got his statue, got a stand named after him,' he said. 'But to criticise people who brought him success was just wrong.'

He said he wanted to defend himself but also the players he had so much admiration for.

'The people who helped me most were my team-mates,' he said. 'Players like Stuart Pearce, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister. I learnt the most from them, these boys who you are actually in battle with. I think managers get too much credit and too much criticism when things do go wrong.

'They were great lads. Winning trophies. For people to try and tarnish that. Have little digs. You have to come out fighting. Enough's enough.'

Still sporting that beard – he said he had been 'lazy' but offered to shave it off should the woman who asked the question request it – he said he was reluctant to write another book at first.

'I had no real plans to write a book to be honest, and I had a lot of offers,' he said. 'But some people telling a pack of lies about me.

'It was a chance for me to reflect on certain things. I think it's quite upbeat as well. Some good stories. Some great days. And I worked with some great lads. It's not all about falling out with people. Over the course of my career I actually don't think I fell out with a lot of people.'


When asked about his beard, the Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa No 2 said he was 'lazy'

Is it an account of the real Roy Keane? 'I don't know about the real me because you're always going to hide some parts of your character,' he said.

But he seemed almost paranoid with 'the lies', even claiming the audience of journalists was peppered with friends of Ferguson. 'I know there are people in this room who have got mates who tell lies about me,' he said. 'You have to defend yourself.

'Over the (MUTV) video there was a lot of nonsense coming out. A lot of propaganda. This video. This leaked video. It was nonsense. You ask any of the players that watched it. None of them had an issue.

'Ferguson has pals in the media. I've got them here today. I can spot them a mile away. And they were just lies. Just lies. I waited but now I have had my say.'

READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT FROM ROY KEANE'S PRESS CONFERENCE

Does Roddy Doyle capture your voice?

'I think so. I have worked with Roddy, I know what a good writer he is. I had no real plans to write a book, to be honest with you, plenty of offers over the last few years, particularly when people were telling a pack of lies about me over the years.

'But when I met Roddy, I thought, "Yeah, we'll go for it". I think Roddy said at the start, it was quite difficult after he recorded lots of stuff to understand what I was saying with my accent.

'But he got there eventually and it was really enjoyable, I have to say, and I am pleased with it.

Has the book been represented unfairly so far?

'With the leak last Monday, obviously people have got snippets from the book and it's obviously grabbed one or two headlines, as you would expect.

'But I think the book is a fair reflection on the situations I have had over the last couple of years, whether it be with players or managers, and I have been pretty harsh, probably, with myself in a lot of the situations, the mistakes I made.

'But when I did the book, it wasn't for people to like the book, it was just about me getting a chance to reflect on certain things. If people like it, they do; if they don't, then so be it.

'But I think it's quite upbeat as well. There's some good stories – I had some great days. Obviously people will focus on the negative stuff, whether it be the World Cup and obviously at United, but I had some great days and worked with some great lads, and hopefully that comes across as well.

'It's not all about falling out with people. Strangely enough in the course of the book, or the course of my career, I actually don't think I fell out with that many people.

'But obviously the ones I did were obviously highlighted. But if people like it, they like it.'

Will you ever forgive Ferguson?

'[Pause]. Good question. I'm not sure, I'm not sure football is a small world and eventually, you will cross paths with people again.

'Whether I would ever bump into him or not, whether it be at a game or sometimes there are conferences going on...

'The problem, I suppose, I had and one of the reasons when you are writing stuff and you are reflecting on it, is that when you have worked with somebody for such a long time – and obviously we had our disagreements and I departed, and I have no problems with that, it's fine.

'It's afterwards when people start coming out with all sorts of nonsense. For Alex Ferguson, not just to criticise myself, but other players who were part of a team that brought some good days to lots of supporters, for him to criticise that when you think of what he made out of it – he made millions of pounds out of it...

'He got his statues, he's got his stand named after him – to come back and criticise...

'I said at the time, I wasn't too bothered about myself, but to criticise people who brought him success was just ridiculous.

'Will I ever forgive him? I don't know. Listen, I don't know. We'll see if we ever cross paths again. I'm sure we will - cross paths, I mean.'

Will you meet Ferguson tonight – a chance to build bridges/beard?

'We are preparing for the game [Republic of Ireland's match against Gibraltar] on Saturday. I know people thought this might be the distraction, but I am working with professional players and professional people and this is no big deal doing this this afternoon.

'I will be busy tonight, obviously getting ready for the game on Saturday, so there's no meeting-up.

'The beard – I am just being a little bit lazy. But if you want me to get rid of it, I might.'

Is this the real you in the book?

'I don't know about the real me because you are always going to hide some parts of your character. I have had people on saying it's this and it's honest, but a lot of this is part of...

'The stuff that has been said to me over the years, even from ex-team-mates, is a pack of lies, just lies and lies and lies and sometimes you just say, "Listen, I have got to get up and say something myself and defend myself a little bit", and hopefully the book will reflect that.

'In terms of the real me, hopefully you'll never get to see that or get to know that, because that's part of the game isn't it? Your job is to try and find out little bits and snippets, you'll have your own contacts - I know there's people in this room who've got mates who are quite happy to tell lies about me and it's ok for people to print it so every now and again you have to defend yourself.

'A lot of stuff I let go - lots of stuff - but eventually you have to go "na, na, enough's enough".'

Are you feeling the pride of being Irish get stronger as you grow older?

'I had a… a lot of stuff was written over the years, going back to one or two idiots really who I suppose had the power to write headlines about me in the Irish media - not wanting to play for my country and all that carry on.

'Obviously I had problems at United, sometimes getting selected for games, but sometimes people forget that I had a lot of injury problems, particularly in my mid 20s going back to my cruciate, then I had my hip problem, a few knee injuries …

'I said in the book maybe I got distracted by all that and got sucked into, I suppose, the politics of the game. And I probably was guilty of that. Sometimes you're under pressure from your club and you prioritise. But I think I've had a chance to reflect on that, certainly over the last few years, particularly with getting back involved in Ireland, and I suppose I've been refocusing and looking at what's important and what's not important to you.

'The same people who were putting me under pressure at the time about international football are the same people who couldn't care less about how Ireland did anyway. There was plenty of distractions and a lot of pressure on me from different people including Ferguson and people like that. That's part of it. I look back and think "yeah, there's a few regrets on that side of it". I should have probably fought my corner a bit more.

'Even at Nottingham Forest, I had one or two incidents with the under age teams with Ireland. It's not trying to be clever, hindsight is a wonderful thing in football, but I wish I hadn't taken my eye off the ball with the Irish stuff, but I did and it happened and that's why the chance to get back involved with Ireland was fantastic for me from a selfish point of view. It's just rekindled what I love about the game because whatever has gone on about the book, the fights, the disagreements, I still love the game of football, you know.

'With the industry we're in now you can't get distracted and I see other players doing exactly the same now. Hopefully my experience can help them and say "listen, just focus on the game and don't worry about all the other nonsense that's going on around you".'

Celtic, if they show they want you would you consider it?

'I think you have to be opened minded. I've tried to explain the situation. I was probably about tenth choice. I've heard on the grapevine that one or two other people had turned it down which wasn't an issue for me but at the time the negotiations didn't go the way I'd have hoped they would have gone, but I'm not sitting around waiting for people to lose their jobs.

'I have to be careful with what I say because there's a new Celtic manager and you want to wish him well, so I don't sit back and think "if these come calling". With the madness of the game you don't know what's around the corner at all and at the moment I'm just focused on working with Martin (O'Neill at Ireland) and the rest of the staff and the players and getting used to my role at Aston Villa.

'I'm not sitting around waiting for managers to lose their jobs. I'm not that type of personality. I honestly hope all other managers do well, but of course the game doesn't work like that and managers lose their jobs, but I'm not sitting around waiting for the phone to ring I have to say.

Is it now accepted part of football that what happens behind the scenes does not stay behind the scenes? Is the dressing room not sacred any more?
'Probably not. There was that unwritten rule going back on for years, "what happens in pre-season stays in pre-season on or off the pitch".

'There are a lot more stories coming out. The stuff I've got into is me defending myself. Stuff I felt was untrue. But also there was a lot of good stuff, really good stuff. I didn't fall out with everybody. Obviously I had a disagreement with Peter (Schmeichel) but if you read the book last year me and Peter were having breakfast in London. There was a good ending to it.

'People will concentrate on the negative but there was lots of good stuff. Whatever has gone on in my career the highlights are the players I've played with, always.

'It's part of the industry now that what goes on in dressing rooms will eventually leak out. For example, I look at teams and they get a good result and players in dressing rooms are all on Twitter and this carry-on. And they lost the previous ten. I think it's OK if you've won the title and you're entitled to celebrate.

'The game is changing. But that's the industry, the game. I don't sit around now thinking I was part of the dressing room. I look back and count my blessings that the lads I played with, whether at Forest or Cobh Ramblers or United or Ireland, even Sunderland and Ipswich, I had some great days. I don't miss the carry-on with some of the lads now. There are a certain lack of characters and good lads out there.'

In 2005 when Ferguson said it had come to an end, you agreed with that. Can you explain?

'It's quite hard to explain. I just knew. There was a lot of nonsense coming out from United about this leaked (MUTV) video coming out that shouldn't have been played. They were quite happy to let that come out. They'd just been knocked out of the Champions League. There was a disagreement about the video but it was just nonsense. None of the players had an issue about it except Ferguson and (Carlos) Queiroz and they had already made their minds up anyway.

'Again, no problem. That wasn't the issue. It was afterwards. When people are telling tales about me, saying this and that. When I had the meeting with Ferguson and David Gill and my lawyer at the time I did agree. Sometimes you just know it's the end of things.

'That wasn't the problem, it was the way it was handled, the statements and stuff coming out about me. I'm pretty sure I know the source . . I know the source of where it was coming from. Obviously Ferguson had friends in the media. There are a few of them here today. I can spot them a mile away. He was pals with them and he put little snippets about me out there. It was lies, basic lies. So I had to come out and say "listen . ." and now is the time. I had to bide my time and I've waited long enough, so there you go.'

You have a troubled relationship with Ferguson, who do you credit for being the mentor in your life?

'In terms of on the pitch, and I will argue with you until the cows come home . . people are always quick to praise coaches and managers and I've done that with Brian Clough, but the people who helped me the most from a football point of view were my team-mates. It is as simple as that.

'I've never worked with a coach or a manager where they inspired me to do something. The people I learned the most from were the people around me... Stuart Pearce, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, these boys. When you go into battle with them... I think managers today get too much credit and also on the other side they get too much criticism when things go wrong.

'The things I learned the most as a player was from the lads I played with. People always look back at my career at United but the lads at Man Utd were absolutely fantastic. They were great, great lads. Just because there were disagreements – obviously my situation with Peter, which again was highlighted in the book – but the days I had with them lads at United were probably the best days of my life. They were absolutely fantastic lads and we were winning trophies. So for people to try to tarnish that and have little digs, that's why you have to come out fighting. I said "enough's enough''.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2786726/Roy-Keane-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-millions-got-stand-Old-Trafford-named-criticise-people-brought-success-wrong.html