Keane never needed to apologise like Sancho and takes ‘comfort’ in only ‘falling out with idiots’
Roy Keane can’t recall ever doing anything wrong like Jadon Sancho that required an apology and only ever “fell out with idiots” in his time in management.
Keane was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast as the pundits debated the ongoing feud between Sancho and manager Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
Sancho took issue with Ten Hag’s claim that he was dropped for a lack of effort in training, taking to social media to refute his manager’s claim.
Ten Hag has since banished the winger from training and all first-team facilities until he apologises.
Asked whether he had experienced a similar situation in his career, Keane said: “I don’t think I ever did anything wrong [to require an apology]. Maybe when I was sent off, I must’ve said ‘sorry lads’.
“I must’ve said sorry in the dressing room after if I’d been sent off, and I would have no problem. Jokes aside, If I’d done something wrong, apologising, absolutely no problem.
“I fell out with a few [players, while managing]. I didn’t banish them, but I fell out with lads when I was manager of Sunderland, Ipswich, when I was working with Martin [O’Neill] at Ireland. I look back and I analyse it, and I was convinced – and I still am – that I was right.
“The lads that I fell out with were idiots who never did anything with their lives or their careers afterwards, so that gives me a bit of comfort. No one’s ever proved me wrong on that side of it. I have pulled players in, and you would have discussions and arguments, but players can be wrong obviously.”
The Man Utd legend held no punches when assessing Sancho’s situation, insisting if he were the England international he would be “ashamed of my life”.
“I don’t think he is training right,’ Keane said of Sancho. “I have no issue with his personality.
“I am not bothered about that [a player being withdrawn], the one thing we don’t really forgive a player for… we have all worked with players who have come in, they can be grumpy or whatever, but when they are training, they are training properly.
“My annoyance with Sancho would be if he is not training properly. Whatever it is about his personality, we’re all different.
“I’d be embarrassed, I’d be ashamed of my life if the manager ever came up to me, or even spoke through the media because you get over that stuff.
“People say you can’t say stuff about the players through the media, yes you can, you can send messages out to people.”
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