Jordi Cruyff has reflected on a memorable interaction with Roy Keane from his four-year spell at Manchester United between 1996 and 2000.
The Manchester United dressing room is very different now compared to what it was in the 1990s. Football on a greater scale has changed drastically, which doesn’t stop the demand for professionals to perform at the same standards as the legends that came before them.
Bruno Fernandes is the current captain at United. The armband has been debated by many because the Portugal international has a different approach to leading the team than Keane.
Yet there is no denying that Fernandes has been United’s most influential signing of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Furthermore, United fans got used to watching the best players season after season under Ferguson because he built successful teams and knew when to move on players.
Jordi Cruyff, Phil Neville and Eric Cantona with the Premier League trophy
Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
Jordi Cruyff reflects on one-sided row with Roy Keane
Not every signing proved to be a success as United found out with Jordi Cruyff.
After arriving at Old Trafford with a strong reputation as the son of the iconic Johan Cruyff, Jordi was labelled a flop for failing to fulfil his potential.
Cruyff had to deal with a series of bad injuries, which limited him to 58 appearances for the Red Devils. He scored eight goals and registered four assists in that time.
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Having previously held the role of sporting director at Barcelona, Cruyff is currently the technical advisor of the Indonesian national team. He appears as this week’s guest on The Stick To Football podcast and speaks about a fiery interaction with Roy Keane, which left him speechless for once in his life.
“He was the only one who told me once when he was angry, ‘not a word back,’ and I actually kept quiet,” Cruyff said.
“Not a word back! First and last time in my life. Yeah, that’s true.”
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Cruyff says nobody has been able to keep him quiet in such a way before or after Keane. It set the Irishman apart from the rest.
Jordi Cruyff missed out on the Treble at Man Utd
In January 1999, Cruyff was seeking more regular first-team football.
He accepted a loan move to Celta Vigo in Spain.
This ruled Cruyff out of playing any role in the latter stages of the Treble-winning season.
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Cruyff left Old Trafford in June 2000 when his contract expired. He went on to sign for Deportivo Alaves.
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