THE AUDIO HAS emerged of Alex Ferguson’s address during the Dublin Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner on Thursday night, and the legendary manager praised ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane during the talk.

Keane and Ferguson won numerous trophies together, with many regarding the Corkonian as the on-field incarnation of his manager, such was his influence on other players at the club.

Yet the pair have been engaged in a war of words ever since Keane’s controversial exit from the Red Devils in 2005, with his newly released autobiography seemingly creating further tension between the pair.

However, at the event on Thursday, there were signs that Ferguson was eager to make peace with the player that was such an important part of his success at United.

Not only did the Scot ignore the recent criticisms aimed at him by Keane in his latesr book, The Second Half, but he also made two glowing references to the Ireland assistant boss in his speech.

“See particularly in the last 10 or 15 years the players we were getting were the most fragile we’d ever had, not like the Bruces, the Robsons and the Keanes and all them,” Ferguson told the audience.

“It was because they have grown up differently.”

He later added: ”The most fantastic football moment of my life: Barcelona 1999. Now many people say we were lucky but the character of that team won that game.

“We didn’t actually play well in the first half I must say…

“I didn’t have Roy Keane and I didn’t have Paul Scholes — the two best midfield players in Europe.”

Audio courtesy of FM104

h/t 101 Great Goals

What do you think? Will these two fiery characters eventually settle their differences?

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