Roy Keane did not get into football in order to broaden his social circle. However, he does show respect to those people who, in his opinion, have earned it. The fact that he was never required to have close relationships with his teammates, as many people would argue, is probably what makes the specifics of his dispute with his former teammate Teddy Sheringham more understandable.
After an altercation following a night out, the two players didn't speak to each other at Old Trafford for more than three years, despite the fact that they were both members of one of the greatest club teams in the history of football. Sheringham, who scored 46 goals for United in 153 appearances, claimed that Keane stopped talking to him in the middle of his first year at United. Sheringham made 153 appearances for United. Although disagreements between teammates are certainly not unheard of, the argument that occurred between the two United players was completely unexpected.During the 1997–1998 season, several United players were returning home on the bus after spending the night out. Sheringham asserted that there was a "bit of banter" between teammates before the atmosphere abruptly shifted.
"Keany said to me out of the blue, 'Why don't you f***ing go back to London in your f***ing red Ferrari and your penthouse?'" This statement was made by Sheringham in the book about Sir Alex Ferguson's team, Manchester United, the Treble and All That, which was published earlier this year.
"I went 'Eh?' And he responds by saying, "Yeah, get the hell out of here and go back to London."
Sheringham claims that Keane, who was unable to play at the time because of a serious knee injury, received a swift response from Sheringham's client. It should come as no surprise that the other players on the bus, including Denis Irwin, Peter Schmeichel, Gary Pallister, and Steve Bruce, were clueless about what was going on.
Continued Sheringham: "I'm like, 'Are you coming for me, Keany?'
What gives, you Paddy? Why are you coming after me? What the f*** is that?
And then he said, "F*** off," and then he went on to say, "F***ing red Ferrari, penthouse..." After that, he jumped around, still favoring his injured leg, grabbed me by the tie, and pulled me towards him while we grappled with each other.
"All of a sudden, people are going, 'what the heck is going on?' and pulling us apart. A fight broke out in the minibus, and the remaining players were tasked with breaking it up.
"And I'm saying, 'No, what's going on Keany? Let's have it out. Why are you getting so angry with me right now? I haven't communicated with you in any way.'"
Following the events of that night, the training session scheduled for the following day promised to be an interesting one. Sheringham admitted that he arrived at the stadium in the morning anticipating a physical altercation with Keane, but Keane chose to ignore him instead of engaging in a fight.
"As I walked in past him, I had the distinct impression that he was going to stand up and punch me in the face. "Here we go," I find myself thinking." Sheringham said.
"And then Keany stands up and leaves the room. He did not communicate with me in any way. During the subsequent three and a half years, he did not communicate with me in any way. After that, there was complete silence. On the field, he did not communicate with me in any way. Nothing on the social front for the next four years, not even in the locker room,"
It would be inaccurate to say that the fight between Keane and Sheringham caused the team to lose the campaign, but the season did end in a manner that was disheartening to watch unfold. The Reds were eliminated from both the FA Cup and the Champions League by Barnsley and AS Monaco, respectively. Arsenal was able to claim the title of Premier League champion instead of Liverpool. The only trophy United managed to bring home at the end of the season was the Charity Shield.
Sheringham and Keane both had a lot of success while playing at Old Trafford, despite the fact that the season's conclusion was less than stellar. There does not appear to be any residual hostility between the two United greats, despite the fact that it is highly unlikely that the pair will ever be best friends. The former player admitted that he and his former opponent shook hands at a charity match after they had both retired from the sport, but he insisted that he did not know what had caused the disagreement between them in the first place.
However, he continued by praising Keane for his work. Sheringham, along with a great number of other people, recognized the value of the contributions made by the midfielder.
"There were so many great players at United, but if Keany didn't play we weren't the same team," Sheringham added. "If Keany didn't play, we weren't the same team." "Keany was someone I'd always loved... I admire his sense of urgency and leadership, and he's a funny lad, to put it comically. Because of this, I was dismayed by the fact that it had transpired because I had never spoken ill of him. I didn't want to get angry or argue with him, but it seemed like that was just going to be his personality.
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