Roy Keane loathes Jason McAteer and claims he DESERVED his elbow in the face in 2002, while his ex-Ireland colleague has offered him into the ring for £1million in return… but what’s behind the former team-mates’ long-running feud?
- The beef dates back to Keane storming out of Ireland’s camp at 2002 World Cup
- Not long after that, Keane was sent off for elbowing McAteer in the head
- Nobody’s fooled by the nature of Man United’s performances this season – IAKO
In this age of boxing for YouTube hits and Tiktok clips it’s possible to imagine just about anybody famous stepping into the ring.
If Misfits are interested, perhaps Roy Keane and Jason McAteer could finally settle their differences over a few rounds.
The long-simmering feud between the former Republic of Ireland team-mates has exploded into the open this week with events from over two decades ago dredged up.
Manchester United icon Keane claimed former Liverpool midfielder McAteer ‘deserved’ to receive the sharp end of his elbow during a United vs Sunderland clash back in 2002.
In a spiky social media reply, McAteer described Sky Sports pundit Keane as a ‘clown’ and suggested he ‘bore off’.
A feud between former Republic of Ireland team-mates Roy Keane and Jason McAteer that has simmered for two decades has exploded into the open
Keane said McAteer ‘deserved’ to be elbowed in the head during a 2002 Premiership clash between Sunderland Manchester United, which led to Keane being sent off
McAteer (left) responded with a spiky tweet in which he described Keane (right) as a ‘clown’
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In further comments to beIN Sports, McAteer joked they could either ‘let bygones be bygones’ or ‘get in the ring for £1million each and fight it out.’
Eddie Hearn presumably isn’t too interested so the Keane-McAteer beef, which dates back to the 2002 World Cup, will rumble on.
They’d been on the opposite side of the United vs Liverpool rivalry but were Ireland team-mates from 1994 onwards.
The origin of all this unpleasantness is Keane’s infamous exit from the Ireland camp in Saipan during the 2002 World Cup.
Used to the best of everything with United, Keane was not impressed by the state of Ireland’s training facilities, with its pitch ‘like a car park’ and late arrival of equipment.
Having gone public with his criticisms, Keane was called out by manager Mick McCarthy in front of the entre squad. In response, he launched into an excoriating tirade at McCarthy, calling him every name under the sun.
After telling him to ‘stick the World Cup up your a***’, Keane left the camp and returned home to walk his dog Triggs, while McAteer and the rest of the team battled through to the last-16, where Spain beat them on penalties.
At the time, McAteer was upset that Keane had stormed out, writing in his Irish Sunday Independent column: ‘Everything is black or white with Roy, there is no such colours as grey.
Keane was enraged about Ireland’s Saipan training base for the 2002 World Cup and stormed out having fired a tirade at coach Mick McCarthy (right)
Keane and McAteer are seen on the training pitch before the Manchester United man’s exit
‘He wants the best for everyone in the squad but I do not always understand his rage.’
Just a few weeks into the following season, Keane and McAteer lined up on opposite sides when United visited the Stadium of Light to play Sunderland.
The sides drew 1-1, with Tore Andre Flo cancelling out an early Ryan Giggs goal, but all hell broke loose when the Irish pair clashed in the dying moments.
During a salty exchange, McAteer mocked Keane over his autobiography, ghostwritten by Eamon Dunphy, which had been released literally the day before.
‘Put it in your next book’, said McAteer in response to Keane’s jibe and mimicked writing with a pen. Shortly afterwards, Keane deliberately elbowed McAteer in the side of the head and was sent off.
Pictures show the pair still exchanging barbs even as David Beckham and referee Uriah Rennie hold Keane back.
Appearing on The Overlap recently, Keane was asked to analyse each of his 11 career red cards.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=21RzbtoBfjo%3Frel%3D0
McAteer mimics writing as he mocks Keane over his autobiography in the 2002 encounter
Keane’s furious reaction led to Uriah Rennie sending the Manchester United captain off
On this one, the 52-year-old stated: ‘He [McAteer] deserved it.’
Reminded they were Ireland team-mates, Keane responded: ‘Just because you play with someone doesn’t mean you’re mates. Do you know what, he was one of these players who shout their mouths off.
‘I don’t mind lads kicking me or booting me, honestly, but McAteer as usual had plenty to say for himself.
‘But back then, I didn’t deserve to be sent off in that game, absolutely not. If you look back on it, I didn’t even catch him.’
That provoked a response on X from McAteer, who wrote: ‘Love it. Players shouting their mouths off !!! Funny you can’t shut the clown up now.
‘And no we weren’t team-mates cause he never showed up and when he did he went home !!!! Please !!!!! Bore off.’
In the more considered environment of the beIN Sports studio, McAteer said: ‘The world has seen him elbow me. To say he didn’t do it and didn’t catch me is wrong. But to say I deserved it, it’s salt.
What Keane said about each of his red cards at Manchester United
McAteer told Keane to ‘bore off’ in a spiky tweet after his initial comments about the elbow
‘I’d rather him come in here now and we just let bygones be bygones and be civil, or we can get in the ring for £1million each and fight it out!’
He added: ‘Our relationship has simmered for a long, long time and it is toxic, unfortunately we’ve never made up.
‘First of all, Roy Keane was a very special player, he was well decorated at Manchester United and he was a fantastic captain and leader.
‘We were never friends because of maybe the Man United-Liverpool rivalry and it was difficult at times playing with him and being around him in camps.
‘The funny thing is, Roy never spoke when he was a player, he never did media. In fact, he confessed to never wanting to go into the media when he finished playing because he didn’t like it and he dismissed it.
‘Now you can’t shut him up. Roy Keane is an icon, he has a massive platform in the world and it pains me to see him do things with Gary Neville who prompts him and prods him to dismiss the seriousness of being sent off so many times.
Roy Keane has given his verdict on all 11 of his red cards he was shown at Manchester United
‘I just felt he was very dismissive when he said we weren’t team-mates. We were team-mates.’
McAteer admitted to getting ‘sucked in’ when it came to his ‘clown’ tweet.
But he added: ‘He went home from the World Cup, we needed our captain and leader and the bigger picture was we were all in together.
‘I was gutted he missed the World Cup because he was one of the greatest players around at the time and I am sad for him for that.
‘Our relationship will never be resurrected I don’t think and that’s sad.’
Asked what would happen if Keane walked in the studio right now, McAteer joked: ‘He’d probably punch my lights out!’
Maybe they’ll get in the ring after all.
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