Roy Keane’s story about Brian Clough punching him is gold

Even though it may have benefitted them, Sunderland’s players probably breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced that Roy Keane wouldn’t be their new manager.

Keane was reportedly close to accepting the job before talks broke down at the last minute. The Black Cats eventually appointed Alex Neil instead.

While Keane is a hugely entertaining pundit – and very popular with viewers, too – you can image him upsetting the modern footballer if he was to ever work in management again. The former Manchester United captain never holds back and can, at times, be brutal.

Keane played under two of the fiercest managers in British football history during his illustrious career: Brian Clough and, of course, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Fergie famously fell out with the Irishman in 2005, leading to Keane’s abrupt departure from Old Trafford, but at least the legendary ex-United boss never punched his captain – unlike Clough.

Keane’s account of the day Clough punched him sums the man up perfectly.

First of all, let’s look at the incident that led to Keane receiving a whack from his manager.

In his debut season with Nottingham Forest, a misplaced back-pass from Keane led to Crystal Palace’s John Salako scoring a goal from distance. The game ended 2-2, which meant a replay.

A REMINDER:Roy Keane’s back pass led to John Salako (@JohnSalako) lobbing Mark Crossley (@bignorms)Upon entering the dressing room Brian Clough greeted Keane with a punch. As he hit the deck, Clough said; ‘Dont pass the ball back to the goalkeeper’