Former Manchester United midfielder-turned-pundit Roy Keane became teary-eyed in the latest episode of The Overlap after showing his fellow hosts an emotional picture from his playing days – and Ian Wright showed an incredible act of friendship.
Keane, born and raised in Cork, Ireland, enjoyed a wonderful career at the top of English football upon moving from Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford in 1993 and, in that time, he racked up seven Premier League titles and one Champions League.
Often as captain, the central midfielder played a vital role in Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominance of England – and he was often given the ‘hard man’ persona. He was, of course, but he was also much more than that, as shown by his recent interaction with Wright.
Keane Becomes Teary-Eyed After Showing Photo of His Parents
pundit roy keane
On the latest edition of The Overlap, headed by Keane’s former teammate Gary Neville, everyone was asked to bring in an item that meant a lot to them. Jamie Carragher presented a Franco Baresi AC Milan shirt, Wright showed his bike helmet while Jill Scott flaunted a letter from Prince William.
Keane – widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history – showed off plenty of Nottingham Forest shirts, particularly one from the 1991 FA Cup final, and his old Manchester United contracts, which initiated a decent conversation on the show.
Roy Keane
He also brought along a photo of his parents at Wembley Stadium, which was taken during his trophy-laden career. Keane’s tough exterior has been well-documented over the years, but his emotions poured out and his partner in crime, Wright, had to comfort him. Keane said:
“You’re on about photos, look at that there. You’re on about family. The ups and downs of football. When you see your family after Wembley, you’d won a big game.”
A visibly upset Keane, 54, then passed the photo to Neville. Wright, who noticed that Keane was fighting back the tears, reached over and tapped his leg as a gesture of reassurance. The former England and Arsenal striker put his hand on Keane’s shoulder and said: “It’s a good one… this is a beautiful picture.”
Watch Keane and Wright's heartwarming interaction below:
Clocking onto the former midfield general’s reaction, Scott added that tangible photographs, as opposed to stills on a phone, allow people to cherish memories – and for Keane, in this instance, that was a picture of his parents at the Home of Football after a big win.
“That’s why photographs are so good to keep, aren’t they? Some people have the photographs instead of [having them] on their phone.”
The pundit’s father, Maurice ‘Mossie’ Keane, passed away at the age of 79 in 2019 after suffering a stroke in the Heather Care Home on the grounds of the Cork Orthopaedic Hospital. Although he did not have a footballing background, Keane’s father was ever-so proud of his career in the game.