Roy Keane is never one to mince his words, and the Irishman was brutally honest when talking about whether he supports Manchester United or Nottingham Forest
Roy Keane chatted about Liverpool on The Overlap.
Roy Keane doesn't support Manchester United or Nottingham Forest
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Roy Keane once admitted he supports neither Manchester United nor Nottingham Forest despite having played for both clubs. Forest on Saturday host the Red Devils in a 3pm Premier League kick-off.
The home side have been in torrid form this season, having seen two managers sacked and Sean Dyche come in to replace Ange Postecoglou in late October. They are currently down in the relegation zone, while visitors United are enjoying their best run of results in over a year, winning their last three games to take them up the table.
Former Ireland midfielder Keane is known for having enjoyed a successful time at both clubs. Keane played for Forest between 1990 and 1993, where he became a key player under Brian Clough.
He then signed for the Red Devils, captaining the side to glory from 1997 to 2005 with seven Premier League titles to his name, while also claiming the treble in 1999. But while the pundit is expected to watch his two former sides keenly this weekend, he won’t have any preference regarding who wins the match.
Keane, who left United after a bitter spat with Sir Alex Ferguson, has made it clear several times in the past that he doesn’t have any affinity for his former clubs. As quoted at a charity event by the Daily Mail in 2015, the 54-year-old insists the only English team he actually supports is Tottenham Hotspur.
He said: "Just because I played for Manchester United didn't mean I was a fan of the team. When I played for Rockmount, one of my team-mate's fathers used to bring me to training and he supported Tottenham.
"That's where it started, I liked their players, the likes of Glenn Hoddle and Clive Allen. But after I'd come back from trial at Nottingham Forest, Spurs offered me a trial.
"I turned it down because Forest had been good to me, I liked the club and felt some loyalty to them. I had a soft spot for Spurs, and still do."
Roy Keane of Nottingham Forest (right) is tracked by Paul Ince of Manchester United as Des Walker of Nottingham Forest looks on (left) during the Rumbelows Football League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on April 12, 1992 in London, England.
Nottingham Forest are one of Keane's former sides
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Keane would reiterate his support for Spurs in 2023 on the Stick to Football podcast, when he told Ian Wright: "I am a Spurs fan. I played for Man United but Spurs are my team."
He has since backtracked slightly on his support for Tottenham recently and instead named another team that he follows. However, that club was not United, either.
"I don't have that [affinity] with the clubs I've played for," he told the Stick to Football podcast in February. "I don't support Manchester United, absolutely not. I don't support Nottingham Forest.
Roy Keane for Manchester United
Keane is a Manchester United legend
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"No, you feel you have more of an insight with how it works at the club and the expectations, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a fan – their results don’t make or break my weekend. I wouldn’t go home going: 'Get in there, that was a great win.' I would be looking at it in a professional way.
“I grew up in Ireland remember. Of course, I played for the club and you are grateful for that. I say you have a soft spot for them. The results wouldn’t be making or breaking your weekend. The same for Forest and Celtic. The clubs I was involved in. Absolutely not.
"You're going on about growing up watching teams, the team I have a soft spot for is Juventus. I like Juventus, I've always had a soft spot for Juventus."
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