He moved there at 34 years of age after the supposedly infamous rant on MUTV. How did he fare there and was he too good for the Scottish league even at his age and decline? I know he had to go after that rant but i really wish he was kept on for another year at United. What an absolute legend he was for us.
Roy Keane’s playing days at Celtic
- Thread starter SATA
- Start date
He played 10 league games then retired.
I don't think you need to go into much more detail than that.
I don't think you need to go into much more detail than that.
Not sure he would have lasted another year with us considering doctors told him to retire after 10 games at Celtic. I think he had a bad hip injury.
As a Rangers fan, I certainly enjoyed his debut, a 2-1 defeat to Clyde that knocked them out the Scottish Cup.
He himself described his time there as embarrassing, but he was in constant pain with his hip, and he did put in a man of the match performance in his 1 Old Firm game at Ibrox.
It's a very similar story to a lot of big names who's ended up in Glasgow at the very end of their careers, Keane, Ian Wright, Ljungberg, Ramsey, Graveson Juninho, Joey Barton etc.
He himself described his time there as embarrassing, but he was in constant pain with his hip, and he did put in a man of the match performance in his 1 Old Firm game at Ibrox.
It's a very similar story to a lot of big names who's ended up in Glasgow at the very end of their careers, Keane, Ian Wright, Ljungberg, Ramsey, Graveson Juninho, Joey Barton etc.
Only saw his debut against Clyde where he was anonymous. I only remember that game for the woeful performance of the Chinese Celtic defender Du Wei. It was his debut too and also his last game for Celtic.
He was at the end of the line by that point which is why Ferguson was happy to let him go in the first place. He didn't have to be too good for the Scottish league as Celtic had Petrov and Maloney to be that for them already and they were miles ahead of everyone else.
“It was a nightmare. I wasn’t happy with my own game. I did okay but okay wasn’t enough.
“After the game, the disappointment. When I got on the bus, John Hartson, a really good guy, was already sitting there and he was eating a packet of crisps – with a fizzy drink. I said to myself, ‘Welcome to Hell’.
Pretty much my memory of him. Was outstanding at Ibrox and I think put in a 10/10 against Kilmarnock at home.
Forgot Keane was involved in that Clyde game, but now remember it with Celtic in that all bright green kit.
Celtic won the league that year, but would have without Keane anyway
How did they fare in Europe that year? Did he play much in that particular campaign?
That was the famous Artmedia Bratislava season where Gordon's Strachan 1st game ended with a 5 nil defeat in Slovakia.
Won the return leg 4 nil, but that was the end of European football that season, 4 months before Keane's arrival.
The year before caught up with him I think. 04-05 Keane at United was still pretty formidable but he just seemed constantly injured at Celtic.
The Clyde goalkeeper that day Peter Cherry is now playing for Dundalk FC. That was over 20 years ago
It's never mentioned really that Keane was actually finished as a footballer when we let him go.
Listening to how angry and bitter he's been over the years you'd think he was a player we prematurely, unfairly, let go.
Listening to how angry and bitter he's been over the years you'd think he was a player we prematurely, unfairly, let go.
He was doing alright, i remember the papers saying he was having a bit of an Indian summer, in other words he was holding his own. Fergie im sure could see his time was coming to an end so the rant was a good excuse to get rid.
The only player Fergie willingly and prematurely let go was Jaap Stam, imo. Almost 3 decades at the club and he was the only one. Amazing, really.
I'm actually surprised he didn't carry on. Retiring so soon after leaving united just proved Fergie was right to show him the door.
I think he was running on fumes but he never disgraced himself performance wise. Beside the obvious goal scoring difference I’d take Keane’s 04-05 season over Casemiro this year in a heartbeat. The guy still got the better of Gerrard and Vieira that year and his passing was still fantastic
He didn’t carry on because he was told by doctors to retire.
Not finished in terms of quality but in terms of health. His hip was knackered. 10 more games to his name post United shows this.
Like Fergie said, Keane thought he was Peter Pan.
Yeah, it was a bit of a vanity signing to be honest, Rangers were shite in the league & actually ended up finishing 3rd in Alex McLeish's last season, their money issues were becoming apparent, Celtic were already out of europe, had already won the League Cup, & ended up winning the league by 17 points.
There was an article on the BBC today about the last time there was a 3 way title race including both Celtic and Rangers. It said the last time was 1998, but I'm sure from memory George Burley had Hearts a lot closer that season than 97/98?
Article didnt even mention it, unless its been updated or I have got it wrong.
05/06 was the Burley year. He was appointed Hearts manager in June 05, won 8 of his first 10 games in charge, then had a fall out with Romanov while top of the table in October and got sacked. They eventually appointed Graham Rix but he couldn't replicate that form & they fell away.
They did go on to win the Scottish Cup though, beating Gretna on penalties in the final.
His hip was gone. I remember him saying he was in such agony he couldn't get out of bed the following day after a match.
Ah right. From memory I thought it was a lot closer.
Not really, he wanted to go there and they wanted him, he was on about 15k a week, much less than others like Bobo Balde and Craig Bellamy who was reportedly on 50k on a loan deal. He could have gone to Madrid instead. I think they had signed Thomas Graveson, who was out of favour and were looking to fill a midfield hole, Madrid were fecking terrible in the transfer market around that time. Ironically, Graveson signed for Celtic after Keane left at the end of the season.
He wanted to go on his terms, end of the season, like a legendary player is usually afforded.
Not booted out midseason due to a rant about a performance.
Not heard that one.
Perhaps I was harsh, they didn't actually need him for what their objectives were that season was my point.
I forgot he had signed an 18 month deal so perhaps they were hoping his experience and quality would help them in Europe the following season and neither side were to know it wouldn't get that far.
Played 13 games. Won the double. Legend.
He had one brilliant game v Rangers at Ibrox, he dominated that game. A glimpse of what he could do, but injury held him back during his spell there.
He joined Celtic back when Scottish football wasn't complete dog shit, so he really didn't do very well overall.
Not sure about everyone else but I'd personally rate his days playing for United over the Celtic spell