Roy Keane singles out ‘genius’ Premier League star he’s glad he never had to face – as Man United legend makes shock admission about how he would’ve rated his chances against player

Roy Keane has named one Premier League ‘genius’ he would have hated playing against.

The Manchester United legend is a seven-time Premier League winner but even he can admit who would frighten him.

Keane, an Old Trafford mainstay from 1993 to 2005, claimed he would have been ‘twisted inside out’ by the maestro.

The Irishman has previously waxed lyrical about Zinedine Zidane, Steven Gerrard, and Frank Lampard as among the best he faced in the middle of the park.

But taking the gong for the man who would have him quaking in his boots? A chap who achieved great success in the blue half of Manchester. 

The player in question is David Silva, who he believes would have ‘twisted him inside out’ 

The player in question is David Silva.

‘I always think of the players over the last 10 or 20 years who have played in the Premiership,’ Keane began, in a Sky Sports clip from 2020 which has resurfaced.

‘The top players – the (Alan) Shearers, (Thierry) Henrys, Gerrards, (Ryan) Giggs. He’s up there with all those boys. Absolutely fantastic.’

On Silva, he said: ‘It’s just a pity when you think of him today leaving on an empty stadium. You know, the City fans would have loved to give him a good send-off and I’m sure he’d come back and get one.

‘Little genius. I look at players who’ve played over the last 10 years and I always think of when I’m retired about players I would have loved to have played against.

‘But he’s one I’m glad I never was around to play against because I know he would’ve twisted me inside out. An absolute little genius.’

Silva won four Premier League titles with City across 10 seasons.

The Sky Blues bought him in 2010 for £24million from Valencia, initially handing the World Cup winner a four-year deal. 

Silva won 13 trophies in his 10 seasons with City – a strong return on the £24m they paid for him

Keane won seven Premier League titles with Manchester United between 1993 and 2005

Little did they know how iconic he would become for them when they made him Roberto Mancini’s third signing of that summer. 

Wind forward 436 appearances later and Silva had scooped up 13 trophies, scoring 77 goals and providing 122 assists along the way.

In 2020 he left for Real Sociedad, where he played for three seasons and won the Copa del Rey before hanging up his boots. 

In May he returned to the Eithad Stadium as a guest of honour and watched as his old side smashed Wolves 5-1 to chase down Arsenal.