One of Roy Keane’s most legendary moments at Manchester United was the direct result of one Arsenal legend’s actions.
Roy Keane had a remarkable playing career at Old Trafford and is widely regarded as one of the best captains in Premier League history.
The Manchester United legend excelled as club skipper after he replaced Eric Cantona in 1997 as captain, with Keane making a long-lasting impact at the club.
Roy Keane was a linchpin figure in the heart of the United midfield and captained the Red Devils to their iconic continental treble win in the 1998-99 season.
The 52-year-old Irishman is held in high regard by some of his former teammates, who witnessed first-hand Keane’s no-nonsense approach on the pitch and off it.
Despite his illustrious spell at Old Trafford, Keane’s reign as captain – and his overall run – at the Premier League club came to an abrupt end in 2005.
The Irish hardman was axed from United after his relationship with legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson splintered towards the end of his run at Old Trafford.
Keane’s legendary Man Utd moment
Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane had no love lost for Arsenal during his time as a Manchester United player.
The former United skipper knew all too well about the fierce rivalry between United and Arsenal when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger were in the dugout.
Keane had one of the most legendary moments of his entire career when he clashed with Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira in an infamous tunnel clash in 2005.
United claimed the ultimate bragging rights from the Premier League encounter after Ferguson’s men secured a 4-2 Premier League win over Arsenal at Highbury.
However, the tone of the match was set even before the ball was kicked, with Keane being involved in a heated tunnel altercation with former Arsenal star Patrick Vieira.
Speaking to The Times, Arsenal legend Robert Pires has admitted that tensions in the Highbury tunnel spilt over after he reacted to Gary Neville ‘barging’ into him.
“Things started to get heated and I think it was because of me actually,” he said.
“Gary Neville arrived and barged into me. I reacted in French because I was annoyed.
“It starts kicking off and at that point, Pat arrives. He said to him: ‘You speak too much, you. Shut up.’
“At that moment, Keane arrives. And he goes, ‘You talk too much as well. I’ll see you on the pitch.
“It was dicey between the two of them, tense. That for me was one of the best moments.”
Keane on Vieira and Highbury tunnel incident
Keane recalled his rivalry with Vieira and felt that the Premier League Hall of Famer “crossed the line” after he “threatened” United legend Gary Neville in the tunnel.
“I was never one for argy-bargy or slagging people off in the tunnel, but Patrick had threatened Gary in the tunnel, and I felt he crossed the line,” he told Sky Sports in 2019.
“The key for me after that is don’t be distracted by it. Focus on the match. The most important thing that night was to win the game, which we did.
“I always think these things look worse than what they really are. It summed up the rivalry.”