‘Roy was probably the biggest influence on my career,’ he says. ‘He would come down hard on me if I ever did anything wrong but he made me realise what it meant to be a Manchester United player.
‘I can remember coming in from training one day and checking my mobile phone for text messages. Well, that was it. He absolutely hammered me, all the way into the gym.
‘He was a great influence, really. If Roy had a go at you, he did it because he cared. He was the best captain you could wish for. He would tear you to shreds on the pitch if you gave away the ball, “get your effing touch right, effing this, effing that” but, as soon as you got into the dressing room, it was over. He was a winner. I’ve met dedicated professionals but he had something else.
Learn from the master: Fletcher with his mentor Roy Keane, and then United team-mate Phil Neville (No 3) in September 2003
‘The first time was scary, you thought, “Oh, I can’t make a mistake here”, but it was actually the best schooling you could get.
‘It was a shame the way it ended for him here. It’s hard to talk about the criticism and what he said, because we all looked up to him so much, he was respected by everybody.
‘We all just wish it hadn’t happened. He was our captain, he was our leader and he left a mark: where we are now is down to him, our dedication comes from the standards he set. The rules about time-keeping, about getting in a half-hour early, they were his instructions back in the day and those traditions continue.
Was a little rushed to find out why he was there. Was he just a guest/watching the game?
