Roy Keane is best known for his razor-sharp punditry these days and part of that is down to his refusal to return to the football pitch.
‘Keano’ remains the darling of Old Trafford but once again passed up the opportunity to lay down a marker upon his old stomping ground.
His ex-Manchester United teammates Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes laced up their boots for the club’s legends side on Saturday.
Keane instead was fulfilling punditry duties for the Republic of Ireland’s 2-0 defeat to England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
However, that is not the reason the former Irish captain decided against playing against his old side Celtic in the charity match.
Keane has not been back on the pitch since announcing his retirement in 2006 following a one-season stint with the Hoops.
Why Keane doesn’t play for Man United Legends?
Keane’s ongoing feud with iconic Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson is often wrongly thought to be the reason behind his absence.
The pair’s long-running quarrel is well-documented having led to Keane’s acrimonious exit from Old Trafford as a player in 2005.
But while he still harbours resentment towards his old mentor, the 53-year-old claimed that his fitness prevents him from playing again.
In 2022, while speaking on Off the Ball podcast, Keane said: “I’m not fit. I’m far from fit. My fitness levels are actually very, very embarrassing.
“Just because I’ve not put on loads of weight doesn’t mean to say I’m fit. I wouldn’t really be able to do any running.
“Put it this way, I’ve been invited a number of times over the last few years to play legends games or whatever you want to call it.
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“I’d find it really difficult because I wouldn’t be able to get around. Too many injury problems.
“I try to have a decent diet obviously and I’m wary of putting on too much weight, but I certainly wouldn’t be fit enough to go on any sort of run.”
Injuries were the reason behind Keane’s retirement as a player just six months after joining Celtic, where he managed just 13 appearances.
The retired midfielder tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 1997 and was sidelined for months with hip issues five years later.
Keane spent an illustrious 12 years at Manchester United where he counted seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League among his accolades.
In his absence, Man United Legends fell to a 5-4 penalty shootout defeat to Celtic after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.
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