Nov 21, 2005 05:17 PM
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(Updated Nov 21, 2005 05:17 PM)
'' Royston Maurice Keane '' . Different words have been used to describe this ManU legend .
He's been called inspirational ,he's been called someone who leads from the front,he's been called someone who's given his all on the ground for Man U ,we have seen him stand up and fight for his team mates (remember his bust-up with Viera in the OT tunnel last season ? ) . I think the most apt title I ever heard about him was ''Captain Courageous ''
He didn't have the skill of a Giggsy , neither the skills and charm of a Beckham , he didnt have the goal scoring abilities of a Nistelrooy , nor the physical strength of a Schmeichel . But whenever Roy Keane was on the field in those famed Manchester United colours , there was only one leader of the team . Him . He has been the engine on which this team ran for the past decade . Sure , he isn't as famous as a Beckham or a Rooney or even a Ronaldo , but for a Manchester United Fan ,if one single person epitomises the club over the past decade it has got to be Keano .
Keane had very big shoes to fill when he took over the captain's armband from Eric Cantona ,whom a lot of supporters consider the greatest Man Utd player ever . I've never had the previlege of watching cantona at his peak (I wasn't a big EPL fan then...) but if he was more inspiring than Keane then he really must've been something .. Anyway , I'm digressing... That Keane filled Cantona's shoes so effectively can be seen in the trohpies United won under him ...
Every time we have seen Giggsy making those runs on the left , Beckham lofting those pinpoint crosses from the right , scholes firing his trademark bullets from around the box , Yorke,cole ,sheringham,nistelrooy and co striking from inside the box , invariably it has been because Roy Keane had made some bone crunching tackle deep in the United half and got the ball to them . They say football is a beautiful game , and Machester United's pinpoint passing only added to this beauty but if you wanted to see why football is also called a extremely physical game , you had to see Keano tackling and chasing balls all over midfield .
No game shows his steely resolve and his committment more , than the unforgettable 1999 Semi-finals of the Champions league . No Man United fan who sat up watching Keane and Manchester united play that day can ever have any other favourite Manchester United player . I remember sitting up way past midnight glues to my TV mesmerised as Keane , like a man possessed harried Zidane & Edgar Davids (when both were at the peak of their careers , mind you ...not the way they are today ) and owned the pitch . That inspite of the fact ,that he had received a booking and was sure of missing the Finals ( His greatest moment as a footballer ). If it was anyone else , he would have been heartbroken , he would have lost his will .Not Keano. It only strengthened his resolve to get his beloved club all the way to the top . And he did...
Manchester United went on to win the Finals (without him !!)
The way he shouted at his team mates on the pitch for their mistakes was just so amazing . These were top stars , world famous , with huge egoes , but not one star ever seemed to mid the ticking off ...coz everyone could see, this man had passion for the club . He knew they owed it to the fans , they owed it to the club !! He wasn't very stylish , he wasn't very falmboyant , but for sheer hard work and committment to Manchester United , no one could come close to him . He defined what a defensive midfielder should be .
The charm that Man Utd had for me is slowly decling. Make no mistake , I still love the club and watch all the matches . But with Becks leaving , age catching up with Giggs & scholes & neville , and now the biggest blow , keano going , the magic seems to be dimming. Sure , Roo & Ron are talented and ones for the future . But the passion which defined Manchester United for me seems to be missing .....
We'll miss you Roy . Thanks for all the wonderful memories over the years .. and we'll wait for the day you'll come back home again :-)
