Keane added to the Premier League Hall of Fame
Roy Keane has joined his former team-mate Eric Cantona in the Premier League Hall of Fame, meaning that two of the four inductees, so far, are from Manchester United's history.
Our two legendary former club captains have been enlisted alongside ex-Newcastle United hero Alan Shearer and Arsenal icon Thierry Henry, in what is described as the competition’s highest individual honour.
Keane joined United from Nottingham Forest for a British record fee in 1993 and quickly became a galvanising presence in our midfield, providing unrivalled amounts of energy and fighting spirit, plus a world-class passing ability that is often overshadowed by his tough-tackling, straight-talking persona.
Known as 'Keano' to fans and 'Keaney' to his team-mates, Roy helped to usher in a period of dominance in the 1990s and became our club captain when Cantona retired, on this day in 1997.
Our heroic former no.16 won an astonishing seven Premier League titles in total and registered 366 appearances in the competition along the way, also scoring 39 goals and registering 33 assists.
Accomplished and competitive, a fierce leader who defined the role of club captain
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 18, 2021
🔴⚪️⚫️ Roy Keane is inducted to the #PLHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/zp8gkm8VVi
HOW ROY REACTED
In a statement published via the Premier League's official website, Keane offered a short response to his inclusion and it sums up his devotion to the team.
“I feel very lucky to be inducted but I’ve only been inducted because of the players I’ve played with,” Keane said.
Earlier in the day, Cantona took a different approach when he said: “I am very happy and very proud but, at the same time, I am not surprised. I would've been surprised not to be elected!
“I played football, I loved football, I dreamed about football as a kid. Of course to play in England was a dream, it was a dream for everybody, playing for the Premier League.
“I have been lucky to play in this team, with wonderful players, a wonderful manager and wonderful fans.
“We won and we really enjoyed [it], and it was the football I dreamed about because Manchester United, it's a club where they want to win things but in a good way. It was like this in the time of Matt Busby, it's the identity of this club and the philosophy of this club.”
“The most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field. Pounding over every blade of grass, competing as if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose, he inspired all around him. I felt such an honour to be associated with such a player.” - Sir Alex Ferguson
“Roy Keane No 1. The rest? They’re all different. Frank [Lampard] is the best goalscoring midfielder, [Paul] Scholes the best footballer, Patrick Vieira the most difficult opponent… I loved playing against all of them.” - Steven Gerrard
“He was a great player, beyond question. A midfielder of extraordinary tenacity and box-to-box dynamism, with a ferocious tackle and an underrated ability to use the ball astutely. But perhaps his greatest gift was to create a standard of performance which demanded the very best from his team. There wasn’t a player at United who could match Roy’s influence in my time at the club.” - Gary Neville