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Rooney looked up to Keane as captain at Manchester United. Neal Simpson

Wayne Rooney says there was nothing wrong with Roy Keane's MUTV rant

The former England and Manchester United captain has come out in support of Keane’s stance in the row that led to his 2005 departure from Old Trafford.

WAYNE ROONEY HAS said Roy Keane was right when he criticised Manchester United’s players on their in-house TV channel – a decision that led to his departure from Old Trafford in 2005.

Keane’s stinging analysis of the United players on MUTV came in the aftermath of a 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough. Ultimately, the row led to Keane leaving the club after a 12 year stint that saw him win 17 major trophies.

The MUTV show was titled ‘Roy Keane plays the pundit’ but was never aired. Alex Ferguson subsequently said Keane ‘overstepped the mark’ and the pair’s relationship has remained strained ever since. 

Rooney, however, backs Keane for the stance he took. Writing in today’s Sunday Times, Rooney said: “The best captains I played for had different personalities. David Beckham was quiet, but it was an iconic time when he was captain of England because of his status in the game. He led through his attitude and work rate.

“Stevie Gerrard brought drive and determination. He wasn’t the most vocal, but you knew by one of his tackles what he was saying. John Terry was very good too; Duncan Ferguson was really quiet off the pitch but on it was all heart and fight.

“Now Roy Keane was vocal. He had an aura. I remember my first United training session thinking, “I need to impress him.” Not the manager. Him.

“I was at United when he gave his infamous MUTV interview but disagree with how it’s portrayed. Roy was supposedly too critical of his team-mates but I’ve watched the video and there’s nothing wrong with it at all. He said that players can’t pass the ball ten yards and they’re playing for Manchester United and it’s not good enough. Well, he’s right.”

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    Mute Willy Motley
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    Mar 20th 2019, 4:51 PM

    You made a show of yourself. From the bus incident to this very day. Used to be a massive Mcgregor fan but lost all respect for him at this stage. Wish he’d actually step away from the sport. They should just call him money Mcgregor

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    Mute Bungee Aky
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    Mar 20th 2019, 4:55 PM

    @Willy Motley: all mouth. I never listened to the stuff that went on outside the cage, but watched keenly what happened inside, and there used to be a difference, now he is just a joke inside and outside. He won’t resurrect his career now with all that has happened unless he drops down the weight again.

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Bungee Aky: A fighter that has never successfully defended either title that he won in UFC.. Absolutely joke that he has the name he has..

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    Mute Bungee Aky
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    Mar 20th 2019, 6:51 PM

    @Tom Kenny: he did well while he was on the way up, but he cut his own time at the top short and the fall was quicker than the rise. No humility, no class, no longevity. He will be remembered as the best, greatest, brightest flash in the pan that ever happened.

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    Mute Kieran Fogarty
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    Mar 20th 2019, 5:27 PM

    He was more interested in promoting his whiskey..how couldnt you give someone like Khabib no respect, the man never lost a round in 20 odd fights

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    Mute Desmond Cassidy
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    Mar 20th 2019, 5:05 PM

    Who cares ??

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    Mute Bungee Aky
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    Mar 20th 2019, 5:25 PM

    @Desmond Cassidy: you do apparently.

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    Mute Stanley Baggins
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    Mar 20th 2019, 5:36 PM

    If Mcgregor gets another crack at Khabib and beats him then he’ll be a big hero again. But he seems to have lost the hunger. He has shown with Nate Diaz that you can never write him off but he seems to have been on a downward spiral since the Mayweather money rolled in.

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    Mute Nollaig Elliot
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    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Stanley Baggins:

    Motivation or not, he’ll never beat Khabib even if he fights him 100 times.

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    Mute Adeel McDangerson
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    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Stanley Baggins: lol not happening.

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    Mute Paul Browne
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    Mar 20th 2019, 11:05 PM

    I will give the guy credit for mouthing his way to the top, but not a nice guy in or outside the octagon/ring, he could of really been an Irish legend but his behavior has made him nothing more then a laughing stock, money won’t buy him class something he is seriously lacking,

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    Mute Dylan Doherty
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    Mar 20th 2019, 7:24 PM

    The money mayweathers ruined him.

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    Mute baw baw
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    Mar 21st 2019, 10:36 AM

    Aldo done it for 10 years and was caught naively in 13 seconds as he was beyond wound up.
    McGregor lauded his own talking game and aldo never got his rematch shot.
    McGregor says he was caught in a fight where he wasn’t up to much and ended in his second loss and should get a rematch just because.
    With his stardust waning and a bit of perspective its easier for people to see hes the Kardashian of UFC , took on a persona popular with the majority and played it expertly through modern media.
    A distasteful genius with talent in all the wrong places.May he and the rest of the kardashian culture be plagued with no privacy and a life in the public eye for selling there souls for a few million quid.

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    Mute Sean
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    Mar 21st 2019, 11:58 AM

    @baw baw: @baw baw: To write McGregor off as nothing more than Khardasian culture is a bit revisionist, while in recent times he has become a mere parody of himself, it would be foolish to discard how good he was at his peak.

    His persona only became what it was through his huge performances on the biggest stage. Against both Mendes and Aldo he heaped pressure on himself by talking a big and confident game and backed it up in the octogon. Without those performances his quick wit would have been nothing more than a cheap novelty. He has proven himself against a lot of top fighters and his lose to Khabib doesn’t take anything away from that.

    I do however agree that he is not entitled to an immediate rematch and nor should he want one, he needs to tune up, get a few wins under his belt and his head back in the game before he could pose any threat to Khabib.

    The idea that he could come back after two years on the session and beat him in the first place was ludicrous and thinking he could jump straight back in with him now is even more so.

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