THE REPUBLIC of Ireland will only benefit from having Roy Keane involved with the managerial setup — that’s according to Danny Higginbotham, who played with Keane at Manchester United and was managed by him at Sunderland.
Speaking to TheScore.ie, the ex-Stoke and Southampton defender who’s now an analyst for BBC and BT Sport amongst others, outlined how Keane’s success as a footballer elicits an instant respect from players.
“Why shouldn’t he be involved with Ireland? He’s an Irish footballing legend and what he has to offer is second to none.
“When you are somebody that’s done what he’s done, you’re not going to go far wrong by listening to everything he’s got to say. He’s been there and done it. What he hasn’t done in the game is probably worth doing.”
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Having moved through the ranks at Manchester United, Higginbotham got to experience Keane both as a fan and a team-mate and he’s in no doubt as to where the Corkman ranks in the pantheon of great footballers
“As far as I’m concerned the fella is an absolute legend, one of the best midfielders that I’ve ever seen. I grew up supporting Manchester United and you’d go watch him in games and the things he’d do, grabbing them by the scruff of the neck. I mean, the Juventus game (Champions League semi-final second leg in 1999) – 2-0 down and he gets a yellow card, he’s missing the final but for me he got that club through to the final. He was a phenomenal player and if he can bring half that to the coaching he’s doing at the moment, then Ireland have got an unbelievable assistant manager.”
Having left Old Trafford in the summer of 2000, Higginbotham spent a number of seasons with Derby and Southampton before a stand-out campaign with Stoke. But in August 2007, a familiar face made contact and he joined the rapid revolution at Sunderland. Having idolised Roy Keane the player, was it any different with Roy Keane the manager?
“I was fortunate enough to have been at a football club when he was a team-mate and I was fortunate enough as a player that he actually signed me. For me, Roy Keane when he was at Manchester United, was a leader on the pitch and wanted the best.
“When he went into management, he did exactly the same thing. He demanded a lot from the players around him because he demanded a lot from himself. For me, that’s what made him the player he was. He had such high demands of himself and his teammates. He was a born winner. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about Roy Keane. I was fortunate to be able to train with him on occasions, play games with him on occasions and I just felt privileged to be on the same pitch as him. And it was an even bigger thing when he asked to sign me.
“He would join in when we were playing 11 v 11 games and he was head and shoulders above any other player. At times I think it frustrated him because things he found easy to do as a player, some of us just couldn’t do.”
Keane and Derby's Danny Higginbotham battle for the ball. EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Keane’s time as manager of Sunderland is detailed in his new autobiography The Second Half with one particular anecdote from his time on Wearside being leaked earlier this week. So, does Higginbotham know anything about ABBA’s Dancing Queen being the music of choice before the team took to the pitch?
“Well, Roy was there well before me! I don’t personally remember ABBA being on in the dressing room but I’ve been in a lot of them with music blaring and ABBA is certainly a little bit different! It wouldn’t be the type of music to get me up for games. I don’t remember if we had that in the Premier League.
“But Sunderland may have had it in the Championship. I was at Sunderland for one season – Roy was there before and after me remember. But, ABBA would definitely not be the type of music I’d want so I’d agree with him wholeheartedly there!”
Danny Higginbotham on ABBA in the dressingroom and Keane as a manager and team-mate
THE REPUBLIC of Ireland will only benefit from having Roy Keane involved with the managerial setup — that’s according to Danny Higginbotham, who played with Keane at Manchester United and was managed by him at Sunderland.
Speaking to TheScore.ie, the ex-Stoke and Southampton defender who’s now an analyst for BBC and BT Sport amongst others, outlined how Keane’s success as a footballer elicits an instant respect from players.
“Why shouldn’t he be involved with Ireland? He’s an Irish footballing legend and what he has to offer is second to none.
“When you are somebody that’s done what he’s done, you’re not going to go far wrong by listening to everything he’s got to say. He’s been there and done it. What he hasn’t done in the game is probably worth doing.”
Having moved through the ranks at Manchester United, Higginbotham got to experience Keane both as a fan and a team-mate and he’s in no doubt as to where the Corkman ranks in the pantheon of great footballers
“As far as I’m concerned the fella is an absolute legend, one of the best midfielders that I’ve ever seen. I grew up supporting Manchester United and you’d go watch him in games and the things he’d do, grabbing them by the scruff of the neck. I mean, the Juventus game (Champions League semi-final second leg in 1999) – 2-0 down and he gets a yellow card, he’s missing the final but for me he got that club through to the final. He was a phenomenal player and if he can bring half that to the coaching he’s doing at the moment, then Ireland have got an unbelievable assistant manager.”
Having left Old Trafford in the summer of 2000, Higginbotham spent a number of seasons with Derby and Southampton before a stand-out campaign with Stoke. But in August 2007, a familiar face made contact and he joined the rapid revolution at Sunderland. Having idolised Roy Keane the player, was it any different with Roy Keane the manager?
“When he went into management, he did exactly the same thing. He demanded a lot from the players around him because he demanded a lot from himself. For me, that’s what made him the player he was. He had such high demands of himself and his teammates. He was a born winner. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about Roy Keane. I was fortunate to be able to train with him on occasions, play games with him on occasions and I just felt privileged to be on the same pitch as him. And it was an even bigger thing when he asked to sign me.
“He would join in when we were playing 11 v 11 games and he was head and shoulders above any other player. At times I think it frustrated him because things he found easy to do as a player, some of us just couldn’t do.”
Keane’s time as manager of Sunderland is detailed in his new autobiography The Second Half with one particular anecdote from his time on Wearside being leaked earlier this week. So, does Higginbotham know anything about ABBA’s Dancing Queen being the music of choice before the team took to the pitch?
“Well, Roy was there well before me! I don’t personally remember ABBA being on in the dressing room but I’ve been in a lot of them with music blaring and ABBA is certainly a little bit different! It wouldn’t be the type of music to get me up for games. I don’t remember if we had that in the Premier League.
“But Sunderland may have had it in the Championship. I was at Sunderland for one season – Roy was there before and after me remember. But, ABBA would definitely not be the type of music I’d want so I’d agree with him wholeheartedly there!”
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