ROY KEANE has lifted the lid on how Sir Alex Ferguson told him he’d be leaving Manchester United.
The Irishman, 52, departed Old Trafford after 12 years in November 2005.
Keane had sparked controversy with an appearance on MUTV earlier that season.
The former skipper had criticised a number of his team-mates’ performances, while he also admitted he’d be “prepared to play elsewhere”.
Years later he claimed to have had a frosty relationship with Ferguson’s assistant Carlos Queiroz, contributing to his sudden exit.
Describing the meeting that confirmed his departure on Stick to Football in association with SkyBet, Keane said: “I generally have no problem when a club tells a player [to leave the club] – it’s the game we’re in.
“For you [Ian Wright], they sat you down and had a chat – to me, at least, that’s kind of respectful.
“I’m getting called into a meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, and before I sat down, they’d already prepared a statement.
“This is my issue – they already prepared a statement, and they had the years wrong!”
Despite his frosty exit, Keane still felt a sense of loyalty when picking his next club.
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He continued: “I spoke to Everton, Bolton and a couple of other teams.
“I had that mindset which is crazy, when a club is forcing you out the door and you can’t sign for other teams.
“Everton would’ve been a good move at the time – the location, and I had huge respect for David Moyes – but I felt I couldn’t go to another English team.”
Four weeks after his Man Utd departure Keane signed for boyhood club Celtic.
He would only play 13 times for the Bhoys, however, with his stint beginning with a dismal 2-1 Scottish Cup defeat at Clyde.
Keane, who went on to announce his retirement that summer, insists that he still enjoyed his brief spell at Parkhead.
He added: “I went to Celtic, an iconic and amazing club. The stadium is amazing, but I hadn’t really seen the training ground.
“I’m going back a few years – they have a good one now. I was in the dressing room with Celtic – we got changed at Celtic Park and drove to the ground in our boots and gear.
“I didn’t kick a ball at Celtic – I was injured all the time.
“What I did enjoy – for all my comfort zone at Manchester United, and I loved every minute of my time at United – was that it was good to be in another dressing room for six months.
“The Celtic lads, there were one or two idiots but generally speaking, they are great lads. I mixed with different lads, different dynamics, and I really enjoyed my time at Celtic.”
Keane eyed a return to Celtic Park as manager in 2021 upon Neil Lennon‘s exit.
The job ultimately went to Ange Postecoglou, however, who impressed during two years at Celtic before joining Tottenham last summer.
