Roy Keane Reveals His Top 5 World-Class Teammates

July 25, 2024
Posted by Steven Tan | Source from
Roy Keane is known for his discerning personality and once stated he played with only five world-class players at Manchester United – excluding Cristiano Ronaldo. Although Keane always knew Ronaldo would become world-class, he played with him early in his career before Ronaldo reached his peak.
 
Despite not mentioning Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, and Rio Ferdinand, Keane named the five teammates he considered truly world-class in a 2019 interview with Sky Sports.
 

Ryan Giggs

“If I look back now, you’d have to class Giggsy,” Keane said.
 
“I always class the world-class players as lads who were doing it for nine, 10, 11 years – obviously Giggsy’s done it for a lot longer. To me, that’s the key to being a really good player: you’ve got to be consistent,” he continued. "We see players now, they’ve had a good month and pat themselves on the back. You have to be good for years and years, and Giggsy would have been a prime example."
 
Giggs is one of the most decorated footballers of all time, one of only 44 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances, and played a part in all 13 of United’s Premier League title-winning campaigns. Keane is spot-on with this one.
 

Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona needs little introduction – Sir Alex Ferguson named him one of the four truly world-class players he managed at United. Keane had this to say about his former teammate:
 
“Eric was a brilliant player,” Keane said. “I know people say ‘Eric didn’t do it on this stage and that stage – the international stage… but a brilliant player to play with.”
 
Cantona was pivotal in igniting United’s era of dominance, helping the team win five Premier League titles and two FA Cups.
 

Mark Hughes

“Listen, Mark Hughes was a brilliant striker,” Keane said succinctly.
 
Hughes was a powerhouse for United during the 1980s and 1990s, scoring 116 goals for the club, including crucial strikes like those against Barcelona in the 1991 Cup Winner's Cup final and Oldham in the 1994 FA Cup semifinals.
 

Paul Scholes

“Scholesy was brilliant,” Keane said, picking Scholes as the penultimate world-class player he played with.
 
Sir Bobby Charlton also praised Scholes: “I have no hesitation in putting a name to the embodiment of all that I think is best about football. It’s Paul Scholes.”
 
Charlton admired Scholes for his nous and conviction, his ability to make the killer pass, or produce the decisive volley. “And in so many ways Scholes is my favourite,” Charlton stated in 2009.
 

Denis Irwin

For his final pick, Keane spoke highly of Denis Irwin:
 
“Denis Irwin,” he said. “My god, imagine if Denis Irwin was playing now. He could play left-back, right-back, get you a goal, knew how to defend, never injured, a brilliant guy in the dressing room. Denis would be world-class to me and he’s a Corkman!”
 
Ferguson also regarded Irwin as one of his greatest-ever signings, securing him for just £650,000. Irwin repaid this by winning the Premier League seven times between 1991 and 2002.
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