Manchester United legend Roy Keane revealed that he refused to wear the iconic number seven after Sir Alex Ferguson offered it to him.
Keane and Ferguson spent 12 glittering years together at Old Trafford, with the former midfielder wearing the captain’s armband for most of that time.
An unsavoury and well-documented fallout eventually ended their time together, much like Ferguson’s love-hate relationship with Red Devils legend David Beckham.
The England legend was one of the Red Devils’ most famous ever players to wear the number seven shirt, but Keane insists it was not always intended that way.
On the Overlap, Keane told the story of how he came to wear the No.16.
He said: “Well, I didn’t choose it, no. When I went to United my squad number was 16, just my squad training number.
“Then when the numbers came in, and I just said ‘I’ll stay with my squad number’.”
It was a plain and simple answer that frustrated Arsenal legend and close friend Ian Wright, who said: “You know something? You always just kill things.”
The room erupted in laughter as Wright continued. “He never gives me nothing.”
In apology, Keane replied: “Okay yeah, I’ve got something, sorry! Well I’ve told you this story before where the manager pulled me in, number seven is iconic at United.
“And the manager, when Eric [Cantona] left, he said, ‘I want you to have the number seven shirt.’ And I remember saying ‘No, no, give it to Becks [David Beckham].’
“And Ferguson went, ‘I don’t want him to f***ing have it.’ Because you just thought of his profile.”
Keane told this story alongside Italian football legend Daniele De Rossi, who they visited while the overlap with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Wright were touring.
They visited the former Roma player who idolised Keane during his active career. Back in 2016, he named Keane as an ‘all time idol’, and the reason as to why he wore the number 16 on his shirt.
The group had many laughs together including Keane breaking the forbidden rule in Italy.
When tucking into a spaghetti meal, the Irishman began to cut it.
Chaos broke out when Wright jokingly remarked, “Roy Keane is cutting his pasta, this is crazy!”
De Rossi joined in the fun, laughing, “An idol, an idol. Cutting spaghetti!”
@hellosky Nothing like a Roy Keane story, blunt and to the point
#theoverlapontour #roykeane #manunited #ianwright
Keane, ever the good sport, took it all in stride and responded with a grin: “Why didn’t you tell me how to eat the pasta?”
Wright quickly fired back, “Because I didn’t think you’d do something like that!”
