Vinnie Jones likes to portray himself as one of the hardest footballers of his generation, but the ex-Wimbledon and Leeds midfielder has been asked how he compares against Manchester United legend Roy Keane.
As one of England’s most successful clubs, winning 20 top-flight titles, Manchester United have had their fair share of hardmen.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise because the club was revolutionised by two Scottish men – Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson – who both led with authority, building multiple teams and showing faith in young players who would repay them with loyalty and work ethic.
Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson perfectly captures the ethos of believing in youngsters 🔥👏
Giving young people an opportunity is a fantastic thing and they very seldom let you down. These lads never let me down when they put that jersey on.
Sir Alex Ferguson speaking at the opening of Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium in 2017
Some of United’s hardest, toughest players, include the likes of Nobby Stiles, Jaap Stam, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, and Bryan Robson. The list goes on, and it feels unfair to leave names out such as Nemanja Vidic, Mark Hughes, Paul McGrath and Martin Buchan.
There are fewer hardmen in the current United first-team, though Lisandro Martinez qualifies as one in the modern game, which many will agree lacks a bit of bite.
Vinnie Jones considers himself ‘harder’ than Roy Keane and Paul Ince
Jones earned a reputation as a hardman because of the outrageous things he did on the pitch.
He was also a member of Wimbledon’s infamous ‘Crazy Gang’, picking up 12 red cards throughout his career.
It goes without saying that Jones would have been sent off more often in the modern game.
However, Jones has appeared in a new video challenge with talkSPORT, where he is given a list of footballers and asked whether they were harder footballers than him.
The list consists of former players like Razor Ruddock, Julian Dicks, Dennis Wise, Stuart Pearce, John Fashanu, Paul Ince, Duncan Ferguson, and Mark Harford.
However, when asked about former United captain Keane, Jones suggested he was way harder than the Irish midfielder.
“Yes, that’s the easy one,” Jones said.
Should club legends protect the badge or tell the truth?🤔
Are former Manchester United players TOO HARSH on the club in the media, or are you happy for them to tell it like it is?
Does it matter? Are current United players TOO SOFT?
Jones has done lots of acting since retiring from football, starring in the musical ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and featuring in the classic movie Snatch (2000).
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