A video about the best United captain ever: Roy Keane. Music: This Is War - 30 Seconds To Mars A dominating central-midfielder, Keane was noted for his aggressive and highly competitive style of play, an attitude which helped him excel as captain of Manchester United from 1997 until his departure in 2005. Keane helped United achieve a sustained period of success in more than 12 years at the club. Surely one of the most controversial footballers ever to play in the English game, Roy Keane has had a distinguished career, littered with trophies and accolades. Keane had a long and highly successful career at the world famous Manchester United, holding the captain's armband for nearly ten years, before a brief stint at Glasgow's Celtic. He recently entered the world of football management, and has had a so-far successful term at Sunderland since 2006. In July 1993, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson swooped, hijacking Keane's proposed move to Blackburn Rovers at the last minute. Ferguson phoned the Irishman and persuaded him to be a part of a team that had just won the Premiership in style. Keane agreed, and United paid a new English transfer record of £3.75 million for the promising young midfielder. The season that followed couldn't have gone any better for 'Keano', as he was nicknamed by United fans. After a blistering Premiership campaign, during which Keane helped himself to three goals, United won the title in 1994. Two weeks later the club won the FA Cup final, beating Chelsea 4-0 to secure a first ever double for the team. The next season was less successful, and early evidence of Keane's aggressive streak was seen against Crystal Palace, when he stamped on Gareth Southgate and received the first of his eventual 11 red cards accumulated whilst at United. In 1996, Keane again helped Manchester United to another double, and at the end of the next season, in which United successfully defended their Premiership title, he took over as the favoured team captain when the much loved Eric Cantona left the club. Keane spent most of his first season as captain in the stands after tearing the cruciate ligament in his knee. However, he worked hard to regain fitness for the 1998-1999 season, and led United throughout their most successful season ever. Keane propelled the team to a Premiership, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League treble, the first club in English football history to accomplish such a feat. However, in a cruel blow, Keane was forced to watch the incredibly tense European Cup final from the stands, after picking up a yellow card in the semi-final. Keane was the inspiration and the driving force behind United's success, and captained the club to four Premiership titles in five years, from 1999 through to 2001 and again in 2003. In 2000 Roy was named PFA Players' Player of the Year. His tenacity and hard work meant he was arguably the most respected player in the Premiership. The next few years brought success for Keane and United, but not without problems. Keane was often critical of team mates, accusing them of losing the motivational attitude that had won them the Champions League in 1999. In August 2003 he was at the centre of a media frenzy, after claiming in his autobiography that he deliberately injured Alf-Inge Haaland, a Manchester City player with whom Keane had a long running feud dating back to 1997. It was during the media storm that Keane elbowed Sunderland player Jason McAteer, prompting the media to brand him a 'psycho', not for the first time in his career. He was red-carded and suspended for eight matches in total. Keane returned from suspension with a rejuvenated hip, the result of an operation on a long term injury which at first looked career-ending. Despite fears he wouldn't have the same mobility and ferocity after the surgery, Keane was soon back to his best and led the squad to an eighth Premiership title the same season. text source: http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/ ryan giggs david beckham paul scholes peter schmeichel david may denis irwin steve bruce lee sharpe gary pallister andrei kanchelskis paul ince brian mcclair mark hughes sir alex ferguson phil gary neville jaap stam ole gunnar solskjaer dwight yorke andy cole ruud van nistelrooy teddy sheringham nicky butt eric cantona laurent blanc fabien barthez sebastian veron mikael silvestre cristiano ronaldo andy caroll wes brown rio ferdinand nemanje vidic alan smith louis saha wayne rooney darren fletcher arsenal chelsea liverpool city barcelona madrid milan messi iniesta robben sneijder

• published: 18 Mar 2011
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