Roy Keane delivered a typically forthright message to Manchester United players during a secret return to the club six years ago. The ex-Red Devils captain, who has been backed to return to assist Ruben Amorim by former team-mate Mikael Silvestre, visited Carrington in 2019 during pal and old colleague Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign at Old Trafford.
The Sky Sports pundit didn't mince his words when addressing the team, emphasising the dedication required to succeed at United to underperforming players. Although the talk was deemed successful, Keane was said to be unimpressed with at least one player's attitude. A source revealed to the Mirror at the time: "As you'd imagine, Roy has strong views on what it takes to be a proper United player, and he gave it to them straight.
"He wasn't impressed with one player who didn't seem to be all that interested and looked as if he'd rather be somewhere else. But for the majority, it was a fascinating snapshot into the hunger and desire that drove Roy during his time at the club."
Despite securing top-three finishes in both his full seasons, Solskjaer's stint without silverware was ultimately seen as unsuccessful, leading to his dismissal early in the 2021/22 season.
But those were heady days compared to today, as United lurch from one crisis to another on and off the pitch. Amorim's side are languishing in 14th place in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cup competitions.
This has sparked frequent outbursts from Keane and fellow Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville regarding the club's dire situation, with Keane recently slamming Bruno Fernandes' captaincy.
However, another former United star sees Keane as a potential asset for Amorim's coaching staff. Silvestre told Yaysweepstakes.com: "I think it would be great for Roy Keane to play a role at Manchester United.
"Because, the thing is with Roy, he always treated everybody exactly the same way. It didn't matter if you were a new signing, an old guy, the manager, everybody.
"That's how he got respect. That's how Sir Alex got respect. If you treat everybody the same, no problem. Now, it's true you have players, and as soon as you say something to them, they don't collapse, but it affects them much more. We used to have thicker skin."
Silvestre brought up Joshua Zirkzee's public apology for missing a penalty in the FA Cup defeat to Fulham. The Frenchman said: "I saw Joshua Zirkzee apologising on social media about missing his penalty against Fulham. So you missed a penalty – you didn't kill anybody! There is no need for that. Plus, he had a good game, so don't blame yourself, it happens.
"I can remember when Paul Scholes missed a penalty in the FA Cup final [in 2005] and we lost to Arsenal. He was one of the best players of his generation, but he didn't apologise because that can happen in professional sport. You have to accept it and bounce back."
Despite his – at times – brutal opinions, Silvestre believes Keane would "protect" the current group of players. He said: "I think it's a bit of a problem with this generation of players. They find criticism harder to take.
"If Roy Keane was involved at Manchester United, if he was on the inside with the group, he would have to protect and work for the group. You wouldn't see him criticising players in public, so there wouldn't be any issue."
United are preparing to face Real Sociedad away in their Europa League round of 16 first leg on Thursday. The competition is the club's last chance to win a trophy – and qualify for Europe next term – from their dismal season.