The politeness of Roy Keane

Here's how the story goes: Roy Keane is walking through a hotel lobby the evening before a major away fixture for Manchester United in the Champions League. His manager Alex Ferguson is having a drink with two of his new closest friends. He calls Keane across to meet his fellow countrymen JP McManus and John Magnier.

To Ferguson's embarrassment, Keane is not impressed and is not overly polite before he makes his exit. Keane apparently felt that Ferguson's involvement with these wealthy gentlemen and his interest in the horse Rock of Gibraltar was an unwelcome distraction from the serious work at hand. Wasn't he proven right subsequently?

Fast forward a few years and Keane is in Glasgow, joining Celtic. The club is quick to dismiss a rumour that Keane will be paid from two sources: the club itself and its major shareholder Dermot Desmond, acting in a personal capacity.

Thankfully so. Having stated his disdain for Ferguson's closeness to Magnier and McManus, it would have been hypocritical of Keane to accept such an unusual financial arrangement with the duo's closest friend and business associate. Now he is under no obligation to be extra nice or polite to his fellow Irishman, even one originally of rural Cork stock and even if he is now effectively his employer.