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:
- Omni
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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.
@Guybrush Threepwood: Fun times
its boring now
@Anton Friendo: Yeah that type of game died out in the absence of the likes of Keane, Gatusso, De Jong etc. unfortunately..
@Guybrush Threepwood: It was the norm in school to support English soccer. Enlightenment happens only when you leave the education system.
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
@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.
@Gerry Ivie: it was Keith Gillespie that Shearer punched in Dublin.
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!
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.
@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.
Funny considering that you could visibly see the point when Shearer sh*t himself at the time
You wouldn’t have had it in you Alan. Stick to throwing balls at him from a safe distance you coward.
@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.
@The Bloody Nine: You are 100% Correct.Shearer was too smart for that nonsense