What Roy Keane was really like as Celtic player, who Manchester United legend’s mates were at Parkhead

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Roy Keane wasn’t at Celtic for too long but he made an impression.

The Manchester United legend suffered the indignity of a debut defeat to lower league Clyde in one of Celtic’s most infamous results but he improved after that.

He made just 12 appearances in Glasgow before he would eventually retire but fans still think fondly of Keane who rejected Real Madrid to join Celtic in a move which stunned Gary Neville even all these years later.

The midfield enforcer certainly developed a reputation as being a no-nonsense hardman throughout his career but had he mellowed by the time he arrived in Glasgow? Ross Wallace tends to think so.

The ex-Hoops winger played with Keane for the six-months he was there in 2006 and says he was “brilliant” to work with.

• READ MORE: Roy Keane wowed by improvement of ‘outstanding’ player who left Celtic under Ange Postecoglou

What Roy Keane was like as a player at Celtic

But rather than spend his time with the experienced players in the first-team under Gordon Strachan’s guidance, the Irishman – now 53-years-old – would do gym sessions with the younger lads and enjoy their banter.

“What was Keane like as a player? Brilliant,” Wallace said. “He used to come in and be with the young lads. After training we’d go and do the gym sessions.

“I thought Roy would have gone to be with the more experienced lads but he never, he sort of hung around the younger ones because we were quite a funny bunch.

“He sort of took a shine to us so we’d do gym sessions in the afternoon and Keano would come and do the sessions with us. Have a bit of banter. Kind of like how you’d see him now on The Overlap.”

The time Roy Keane interviewed for Celtic manager job

Keane still has a fondness for Celtic even if it seems by his on-screen persona that he doesn’t have a particular love for anything!

Keane interviewed for the Celtic manager’s job back in 2021 in a move that would have been Box Office to say the least.

He had a decent managerial career with Sunderland where he won the EFL Championship in 2007.

Since then he has only worked with Ipswich Town for a year in the dugout as he has enjoyed his pundit duties week-in, week-out instead.