Roy Keane privately delivered one of the biggest compliments ever to a former Manchester United teammate who saw him as one of his “three biggest influences.”
The 52-year-old United legend commanded incredible respect during his prolific run at Old Trafford and made a long-lasting impact during his time as club captain.
Keane, who recently predicted his Euro 2024 winner, was an inspirational figure for players who signed for the club or those who came through the United academy.
The no-nonsense Irishman’s illustrious club playing career saw him hoover up major silverware at Old Trafford, despite later falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Keane went on to play for Celtic after his fractured relationship with Ferguson, but even the Sky Sports pundit had strong feelings about his time at the Scottish side.
READ MORE: One of Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘disappointments’ reacts to Man Utd legend’s ‘bad decision’ claim
Keane’s influence on Darren Fletcher at United
Darren Fletcher, who is currently technical director at United, came through the Premier League club’s youth setup and played alongside Keane at Old Trafford.
The 39-year-old Scottish midfielder made 342 appearances for United, as well as scoring 24 times and picking up 30 assists throughout his career at the club.
Fletcher lifted five Premier League titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup and a League Cup with United before his exit from Old Trafford in 2015.
The former Scotland international, who later played for West Brom and Stoke City, admitted that Keane had influenced his career alongside Ferguson and his dad.
“My dad, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane are the three biggest influences on my career,” Fletcher told the UTD Podcast in 2019.
“They are the people who helped me. The great thing about Roy Keane is that he says 10 things to you.
“One of them is classic Roy Keane where he has a go at you, lets you know and is really harsh on you.
“The other nine times, he gives you a compliment, but nobody hears about that or wants to remember that because it is not a good story to tell. But that is the way I remember Roy Keane.”
Keane’s unforgettable compliment on Fletcher
Despite seeing Keane as a big role model for his career, Fletcher was one of the players that the ex-United captain slated in his infamous MUTV interview in 2005.
Fletcher admitted that he didn’t take the former United midfielder’s criticism on a personal level and saw it as a way to challenge himself even further in his career.
During his time with Keane, Fletcher said that the United legend was “fantastic” with him and recalled what he told him after putting in an impressive display on the pitch.
“Roy Keane was fantastic with me,” he continued.
“Walking off the pitch beside Roy Keane and him saying to you, ‘Fantastic today, son, I could play for another 10 years with you beside me in midfield.’
“Nobody hears that and it made me feel like a million dollars.
“The confidence I got from those words from Roy Keane massively outweighed the handful of times when he had a go at me and rightly so, because the levels or my standards were not that of a Manchester United player coming through, which is completely normal.”
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
