NOTORIOUS hardman Roy Keane showed his softer side in a touching moment with Gary Neville.
The former Manchester United skipper and Sky Sports pundit is known for his tough demeanour and prickly exterior – especially in front of the camera.
And he is never afraid to lay into fellow footballers past and present, especially his former team-mates.
But on the latest episode of Stick To Football, Keane actually backed up Neville with a classy comment.
Stand-in host Ian Wright started the interview on “guest” Neville, heaping praise on the former Red Devils man.
Wright stated Nev is one of the best in his position in Premier League history – for his talent, attitude and trophies – but questioned why he always plays down his career achievements.
Neville, 49, who won eight league titles, two Champions Leagues and 85 caps, said: “It’s easier that way. If I said that I was the best right back in Premier League history, or one of the best, how is that going to go down?”
Keane, 52, immediately quipped in: “You wouldn’t have to go that far!”
Neville then added: “I’m content with everything that I did and I don’t feel like I need to play it up in any way, shape, or form.”
But then Keane, who skippered Neville at Old Trafford, chipped in with his brilliant comment.
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The Irishman said: “Yes but don’t play it down either. Don’t play it down.
“He does it all the time, you shouldn’t do that.
“You deserve better.”
Neville, looking a tad shy or even embarrassed in the spotlight, continued: “I think it’s because a lot of people will say that I played with Rio Ferdinand or Jaap Stam, that I had Roy Keane or Paul Scholes, David Beckham, [Andrei] Kanchelskis, and [Cristiano] Ronaldo in front of me – a lot of people say that anyone could have played there [right back].
“So, I play along to the actual crowd a bit with that idea that anyone could have played because I had such unbelievable players around me.
“All the people in my life, who I would say are in influential positions, were people who always said to never get carried away.
“Whether that be the boss [Sir Alex Ferguson], my dad, or Roy [Keane] in the dressing room, you were never able to shift an inch in terms of getting carried away.
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag's Manchester United future
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
“As soon as you started, you’d just be brought back down straight away, so I think it’s that idea of always being around people who were quite hard.
“To actually live in that environment and be there and survive for 21 years, which is how long I was at United for, I do think that it was an achievement.
“I do genuinely think that he [Sir Alex Ferguson] didn’t carry passengers and he would have gotten rid of me, or the players would have found me out in those 20 years – you wouldn’t have been able to survive.”
Elsewhere on the episode, Neville revealed he was lined up to be made England manager, replacing Roy Hodgson.
Former FA chief Dan Ashworth even called the ex-defender when he had taken over as Valencia head coach and told him of the plan.
Neville also said he was approached by Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Derby to take over as gaffer – but opted to focus on his media and business careers in retirement instead.
