Golf legend Rory McIlroy has hilariously revealed what Manchester United icon Roy Keane told him when he approached him for an autograph as a 12-year-old kid.
Keane has been well-known for his no-nonsense approach off the pitch and on it, with the 52-year-old United legend not afraid to speak his mind on almost anything.
The Irishman even holds strong views on players swapping shirts, with Gary Neville even opening up about the ex-United captain’s stance when they were teammates.
Keane, who has only asked for one shirt swap, has taken a more active role in punditry after he called it time on his legendary playing career in 2006.
The former United midfielder has been a regular on Sky Sports alongside Neville and Jamie Carragher, with Keane saying it as he sees it during his in-depth analysis.
READ MORE: BBC pundit uses surprise Cristiano Ronaldo comparison to explain Man Utd star’s struggles
McIlroy on asking Keane for his autograph
McIlroy appeared in the latest video on The Overlap alongside United legends Keane and Neville, Liverpool legend Carragher and Arsenal hero Ian Wright.
The 34-year-old former world No 1 opened up about the time he crossed paths with Keane when the Irishman was on international duty with the Republic of Ireland.
McIlroy, who said Keane was one of his idols, recalled that the ex-Republic of Ireland skipper wasted no time in shooting down his request for an autograph.
“I was down at [the] Parmer Links hotel and the Irish team were staying and it was a training camp, I think,” he said on the Stick to Football show.
“I saw one of my Man United heroes in the lobby, Roy Keane, and I went over to him and asked him for an autograph. [I must’ve been around] 12.
“He looked up at me – he was sitting down – and said, ‘Not today, kid,’ I was like okay […] but it’s alright [as] it didn’t make an impression on me at all.”
Keane admitted that he couldn’t remember the incident and said he was “probably in the zone,” with the Sky Sports pundit proceeding to poke fun at McIlroy’s request.
“Is that true? I was probably in the zone,” he responded.
“Were we going training or [something]? The only thing I’d remember about that hotel honestly was [there were] always like kids around annoying the players.”
United fan McIlroy on his favourite footballers
McIlroy is a United fan and the 34-year-old admitted that he had season tickets before and would watch the Red Devils live at Old Trafford growing up.
The four-time major champion insisted that the likes of David Beckham and Wayne Rooney were big influences on him alongside the likes of Keane.
“It was David Beckham for a good part of It, but I loved Wayne Rooney,” McIlroy said.
“I still have season tickets at Manchester United and I loved going there and just watching Wayne because he worked so hard and ran everywhere, you felt exhausted after watching him for 90 minutes.
“To be that good but to also have that work ethic, to me, he looked like he loved football, and I loved watching him play.”
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
