logo
Rugby league legend lifts the lid on the day Roy Keane was dramatically SACKED by Manchester United

Rugby league legend lifts the lid on the day Roy Keane was dramatically SACKED by Manchester United

Daily Mail​a day ago
Footy legend Willie Mason has revealed how Roy Keane 's 'energy' resulted in his infamous sacking from Manchester United in November of 2005.
Speaking on his Levels podcast with co-host Justin Horo, Mason recalled meeting a number of Red Devils players - including club captain Keane.
Mason, who was in England at the time with the Kangaroos, outlined what unfolded.
'We went to Man Utd training....we saw (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Wayne) Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson,' he said.
'It was freezing cold, and I remember (Kangaroos coach) Wayne Bennett talking to Sir Alex for about three hours.
'Keane was on the exercise bike and he was (absolutely) fuming.
'Roy was filthy at everyone....saying the younger kids have no credibility and shouldn't be driving similar cars to him.
'He is a league fan, Roy was saying to the boys how much he loves rugby league.
'Then he called them all prima donnas, and took that energy into a press conference.'
Mason's account is on the money.
After more than 12 years at Old Trafford, Keane was ruthlessly moved on following savage comments about a number of his teammates, including the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher and Alan Smith.
They followed a 4-1 defeat by Middlesbrough.
Ferguson and chief executive David Gill felt the situation was untenable, and Keane was ushered out the door.
It followed a 'ten minute' meeting - with the seven-time Premier League winner left stunned and without a club.
The hard-nosed midfielder eventually joined Celtic in Scotland - and his relationship with Ferguson remains strained.
After retiring in 2006, Keane moved into management before turning his attention to football punditry.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Arsenal sign Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi
Arsenal sign Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi

Powys County Times

time5 minutes ago

  • Powys County Times

Arsenal sign Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi

Arsenal have signed midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. The Spain international, 26, moves to the Emirates Stadium on a long-term deal after the Gunners reportedly triggered his £51million release clause. Euro 2024 winner Zubimendi had previously been a target for Liverpool and was also linked with Real Madrid. Martin Zubimendi, right, played against England in the Euro 2024 final (Adam Davy/PA) Zubimendi told the club website: 'This is a huge moment in my career. It's the move I was looking for and one I wanted to make. As soon as you set foot here, you realise how big this club and this team are. 'I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me. They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come.' Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is confident Zubimendi can help reinforce his midfield options, having seen Thomas Partey's contract expire and Jorginho also leave the club. 'Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team. He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us,' Arteta said. 'The standard he has consistently performed at over the last few seasons for both club and country is exactly why we are so excited to have him with us. We all welcome Martin and his family to the club.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arsenal (@arsenal) A graduate of the Sociedad academy system, Zubimendi made 236 appearances for the club in all competitions at senior level and helped the team lift the delayed 2019-20 Copa del Rey with victory over Athletic Bilbao. He was also involved as Sociedad finished fourth in the 2022-23 season – their highest league finish – to reach the Champions League for only the third time in their history. The midfielder has been capped 19 times by Spain, where he was part of the squad who won the Nations League in 2023 and became European champions last year after beating England in the final. Zubimendi becomes Arsenal's second signing this summer after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga joined from Chelsea. The Gunners are also expected to complete the signing of Christian Norgaard, with the Brentford captain looking set to join for a reported £10m with a potential £5m of add-ons.

Women's Euro 2025 fixtures, results and group tables
Women's Euro 2025 fixtures, results and group tables

The Independent

time10 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Women's Euro 2025 fixtures, results and group tables

England enter Euro 2025 as the holders as the Lionesses look to become European champions for a second time in Switzerland. But Sarina Wiegman 's side face a tricky group, with France, Netherlands and European championship debutants Wales all draw in a blockbuster Group D. And the Lionesses already face an uphill battle to reach the quarter-finals after defeat to France sets up a must-win clash with the Netherlands on Wednesday. World champions Spain and record winners Germany will be among the favourites, while Norway and Sweden bring talented squads into the 16-team tournament. Euro 2025 fixtures and results Euro 2025 group tables

Martin Zubimendi signs for Arsenal and here is why
Martin Zubimendi signs for Arsenal and here is why

Telegraph

time11 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Martin Zubimendi signs for Arsenal and here is why

At half-time of last year's European Championship final against England, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente had a simple message for his players. 'Let's be ourselves,' he told his team, in a speech filmed by Amazon's documentary-makers. 'We have to take it easy. Keep calm. Just do your thing.' Of perhaps all the Spanish players, Martin Zubimendi had the most reason to panic. He had watched most of the tournament from the bench, playing a total of just 95 minutes before the final, and he was now being thrown into the heart of midfield following an injury to Rodri. It was the biggest moment of his career. But, as it turned out, it was arguably Zubimendi who best followed De la Fuente's instructions. The Basque native kept calm, just as his coach demanded, and did his thing. What followed was a midfield masterclass, full of probing passes and well-timed tackles, as he helped Spain to a 2-1 victory over Gareth Southgate's side in Berlin. The performance provided further proof that Zubimendi is a midfielder capable of operating at the highest level, under the most intense pressure. Liverpool had seen enough, and soon made their move. A few weeks after that final in Germany, it seemed certain that he would be swapping Real Sociedad for Anfield in a deal worth around £50 million. But just as the transfer was materialising, Zubimendi backed away – much to Liverpool's disappointment. 'I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the best option was to stay,' he later said. 'There were many reasons for my decision, but I was selfish and thought about what was best for me.' It is a question that many have asked over the past year: what made Zubimendi reject Liverpool? Telegraph Sport can now reveal the reason why. Around the time he was strongly considering the offer from Liverpool, Zubimendi was also presented with an alternative opportunity: Arsenal. According to sources in Spain, Arsenal made it clear to Sociedad last summer that they wanted to sign two of their midfielders. The north Londoners were keen for Mikel Merino to join immediately and then for Zubimendi to come a year later, in the summer of 2025. It made for an extraordinary situation. This was effectively a hugely ambitious package deal for two high-class Spain internationals, at the cost of more than £80 million (Merino cost around £30 million, while Zubimendi has cost more than £50 million). The move was led by Edu Gaspar and Jason Ayto, Arsenal's then-sporting director and assistant sporting director, and the pursuit of Zubimendi has ultimately proved to be a remarkable triumph of relationship-building and long-term planning. Here is an elite-level midfielder, snatched away from a Premier League rival, and a deal that was almost a year in the making. Crucially from a financial perspective, the long-term nature of the pursuit has allowed Arsenal to structure the deal more favourably, rather than triggering the 26-year-old's release clause with a single payment. Why were Sociedad so willing to engage in such an unusual negotiation? In large part, because they wanted to avoid losing both Merino and Zubimendi in the same summer. The departure of both players would have forced them into a near-complete rebuild of their midfield. For Zubimendi, too, it made sense to stay in San Sebastián for one more season, rather than move to Liverpool straight after the European Championship. It also surely contributed to his thinking last summer that Arne Slot had only just taken over from Jürgen Klopp. At the time, it was fair to wonder how awkward the transition from Klopp to Slot might be. From Arsenal's side, there was no need to recruit a new defensive midfielder last year. With Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Declan Rice in Mikel Arteta's squad, they had the required quality and depth in that position. But they knew that Jorginho and Partey's deals both expired in 2025, and that change would soon be required in this crucial area of the team. Arsenal's executives might one day claim the transfer was never in doubt after they convinced Zubimendi to wait a year for them, but it was not truly a done deal until March. Indeed, there were moments during the season when it seemed like Arsenal's elaborate plan might just come under threat. The serious knee injury to Manchester City's Rodri, for example, raised expectations in some quarters that Pep Guardiola might target Zubimendi in January. There was also a constant sense that Xabi Alonso, Zubimendi's idol and former coach with the Sociedad B team, might be appointed at Real Madrid and target the Spain international. It would have been hard for Sociedad and Zubimendi to say no to such a proposal. Arsenal had moved so decisively and so early, though, that they were able to remain in control of the situation. First with Edu leading the way, before his departure from Arsenal in November, and then with Ayto, who subsequently helmed Arsenal's recruitment efforts. The relationship between Arsenal, Sociedad and the player remained strong. The transfer was finally announced on Sunday but it was effectively completed months ago, prior to the arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta. When Real attempted to make a move in June, there were therefore no concerns or doubts in north London. The deal was done. The prospect of working with Arteta was another significant factor in Zubimendi's decision. Not only are the two men from the same city, but they also both played for the same amateur club, Antiguoko, as kids. Club sources say the two men formed an instant connection. Zubimendi's game is based on intelligent movement and thinking one step ahead. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that he is also an impressive chess player. As a boy, he once won the under-12 chess championship in the Spanish province of Gipuzkoa. Martin Zubimendi campeón de Gipuzkoa alevín de ajedrez (2011) #realsociedad — RSF_ClassicPics (@RSF_ClassicPics) June 8, 2021 His challenge now is to adapt to a new club, for the first time in his professional life, and a new league. To routinely demonstrate the same technical ability and mental clarity he showed for Spain in their victory over England. And to justify not only the investment by Arsenal, but also the extraordinary, year-long recruitment operation that ultimately brought him to England.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store