Manchester United legend Roy Keane is one of the best midfielders to have ever graced the Premier League.
Over the years, Manchester City have boasted of having several midfielders at their disposal who can similarly be considered all-time greats.
The likes of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Yaya Toure are are among the greatest players to have ever played in the English top-flight.
In Rodri, City have a modern-day great in their ranks as well.
FC Internazionale v Manchester City FC - UEFA Champions League Final 2022/23
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Phil Jones says Rodri is better than Roy Keane
Rodri is a player who can be compared to Roy Keane, considering the Irishman was also the complete central midfielder, capable of anchoring the defence while being a threat in the final third.
Keane is a huge admirer of Rodri himself, lauding his quality and character after Manchester City beat Manchester United 2-1 to win the FA Cup final in 2023.
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“An amazing player, an absolutely brilliant player, a big strong physical presence. A bit of everything, he anticipates where the ball will go, reads the game.”
“He looks like a decent lad, always available, never seems to be injured, so consistent, a brilliant player.”
Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has now claimed that Rodri has surpassed Roy Keane when he was asked to pick the better player is between the two, telling GOAL: “I’m going to have to go Rodri.”
Roy Keane believes people keep saying something ‘disrespectful’ about Rodri
The fact that the Ballon d’Or winner can be mentioned in the same breath as a legend of the game like Keane, despite still being in his prime, speaks volumes about the career he has had.
Micah Richards likened Rodri to Sergio Busquets and perhaps one day, he could be considered on the same level as the Barcelona legend as well as his country’s other midfield greats such as Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.
Phil Jones’ comments are unlikely to displease Roy Keane, who praised Rodri by claiming that it is “disrespectful” to simply refer to him as a number six.
Keane said: “It’s so disrespectful when people label him that when you look at what else he brings to the team in terms of going forward and assists. The goals he gets, the job he does on set-pieces, he’s a big strong boy.”
“It took him a while to get up to speed at City, the first year or two you’re thinking, ‘Is he going to be up to it?’ He looked a bit leggy.”
Roy Keane concluded: “When he got up to speed, my goodness. He’s certainly one of the most important, particularly for Man City. When he’s out of that Man City team, my goodness they look a different team.”