Advertisement
Keane taking a swing at Shearer (file pic).

'He was waiting for me at the top of the tunnel': Shearer on that Keane punch

‘He’s another one who I had some great battles with. He punched me in the face once, didn’t he?’

FORMER NEWCASTLE STAR Alan Shearer joked that he would have knocked out Roy Keane if he’d been given the chance following their infamous spat in 2001.

The English striker was pitted against Keane at St. James’ Park, with the former doing enough to enrage the Irishman to the point of taking a swing at his opponent’s head.

Even after being shown a red card, the Mancherster United midfielder had to be held back as he fully intended on properly connecting with the Toon icon.

Reminiscing on some rough incidents throughout his career during a recent podcast with The True Geordie, Shearer harked back to his own notorious red card when he kicked Neil Lennon in the face back in 1998 before claiming a post-match meeting with Keane ‘would have been interesting’.

“You had to look after yourself, definitely,” Shearer began.

“I always gave as good as I got – I was hard and most of the time I was fair. Neil Lennon deserved it, he was stupid for heading my foot! Nah, I just kicked out, didn’t mean to kick him in the head and I panicked when I saw it.

“I think I did an FA Cup game with Roy [punditry after retirement] – we got on fine, had a laugh and a joke. He’s another one who I had some great battles with. He punched me in the face once, didn’t he? At St. James’ Park.

“He got that red card – it was funny – he walked off the pitch, it was the last minute of the game and he was waiting for me at the top of the tunnel. Of course we tried to get each other and we couldn’t, it was like ‘Hold me back/don’t hold me back’ but we couldn’t get each other.

“It would have been interesting.”

Asked if he’d have knocked out Keane, Shearer replied: “Of course I would have!”

You can watch the interview in full here, and he discusses the spat with Keane from 1:21:30:

The True Geordie / YouTube

- Omni

Subscribe to The42 podcasts here:

‘Those memories will live with me forever’: Gordon Strachan leaves role as Scotland manager

Injury forces Irish midfielder Corry to retire at the age of 26

Author
View 14 comments
Close
14 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Guybrush Threepwood
    Favourite Guybrush Threepwood
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 3:38 PM

    No interest in the game now but was a Newcastle fan at the time and have to say it’s hilarious to hear Shearer say that as you could practically see him shaking when Keane squared up to him.

    164
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anton Friendo
    Favourite Anton Friendo
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 3:43 PM

    @Guybrush Threepwood: Fun times

    its boring now

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Lyons
    Favourite Stephen Lyons
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 5:08 PM

    @Anton Friendo: Yeah that type of game died out in the absence of the likes of Keane, Gatusso, De Jong etc. unfortunately..

    31
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Guybrush Threepwood
    Favourite Guybrush Threepwood
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 5:27 PM

    @Guybrush Threepwood: It was the norm in school to support English soccer. Enlightenment happens only when you leave the education system.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Browne
    Favourite Niall Browne
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 4:22 PM

    If you read craig bellamys autobiography, he played in that game , he said Shearer was the last one off the pitch at the end of the game because he knew Keane was waiting for him

    128
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerry Ivie
    Favourite Gerry Ivie
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 7:31 PM

    @Niall Browne: Bellamy is going to say that isn’t he? Seeing as Shearer battered him in Dawson St when they were over here. Bad mouthed him too when he thought a transfer away from St James Park was happening. Nearly shit himself when it fell through and he had to show up there for training.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall
    Favourite Niall
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 9:25 PM

    @Gerry Ivie: it was Keith Gillespie that Shearer punched in Dublin.

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Murphy
    Favourite James Murphy
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 6:03 PM

    Probably a lot bias here. Both great players and true warriors representing their respective teams. Love Keane but also like Shearer for being a great number 9. Hope Kane breaks his record though!

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gustave H
    Favourite Gustave H
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 8:33 PM

    Grown ups arguing about one man’s ability to beat up another when the know neither and have never seen either actually fight.

    The level of cringe is spine tingling.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin Long
    Favourite Eoin Long
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 11:38 PM

    @Gustave H: I don’t think anyone is arguing here. Everyone seems to be in agreement that Shearer looked genuinely afraid of Keane during that particular confrontation. Which was understandable to an extent, because Keane’s lack of self control and reckless abandon was rarely more evident than during that game.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Lyons
    Favourite Stephen Lyons
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 4:30 PM

    Funny considering that you could visibly see the point when Shearer sh*t himself at the time

    63
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stonerpug
    Favourite Stonerpug
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 3:38 PM

    You wouldn’t have had it in you Alan. Stick to throwing balls at him from a safe distance you coward.

    87
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Bloody Nine
    Favourite The Bloody Nine
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 4:50 PM

    @Stonerpug: it was Keane who threw the ball as well as the punch. Shearer did the smart thing and stood there while Roy had a meltdown and got himself sent off in the last minute for no reason.

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute O'Brien Michael
    Favourite O'Brien Michael
    Report
    Oct 12th 2017, 10:58 PM

    @The Bloody Nine: You are 100% Correct.Shearer was too smart for that nonsense

    7
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel