A contract mistake almost cost me my dream Man United transfer from Nottingham Forest

Manchester United icon Roy Keane has candidly spoken about a "mistake" that nearly resulted in him signing for Blackburn Rovers instead of the Red Devils. Speaking previously on Stick to Football by Sky Bet, Keane revealed some of the "daft" things he did early in his career, including one that almost derailed his transfer to United.

The revered former midfielder, who joined Manchester United in 1993 from Nottingham Forest and established himself as a club legend, has shared how a contract detail and a clash with then Forest manager Brian Clough brought him close to joining Kenny Dalglish's Blackburn. Reflecting on his time at Forest, Keane mentioned how he observed senior players and learned from them but also acknowledged his youthful errors.

"I looked at senior players at [Nottingham] Forest and was picking up things but also made mistakes – I had to make mistakes, I had to do daft things at Nottingham, but I was 19 years of age, so I was going to make those mistakes," Keane admitted. He also delved into the "rollercoaster" of emotions he experienced at Forest, facing significant challenges and triumphs as a young player, while also starting to understand the "business" aspect of football, which nearly saw him miss out on his famed move to United.

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"I was learning my trade but before I knew it, I was in the Irish squad and had played about 110-120 games [professionally] – I was getting a foundation to my career," Keane revealed. "I went through a rollercoaster of losing the FA Cup final in my first year