Manchester United legend Roy Keane insisted that there was “no big deal” with one part of his legendary career under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
Roy Keane had a remarkable playing career at Manchester United and the Irish hardman excelled as captain of the Premier League club.
The 52-year-old United legend was a superb box-to-box midfielder and stepped up as a formidable leader in the locker room when he was appointed captain.
Keane received the captain’s armband after Eric Cantona’s retirement in 1997 and the Irishman was admired for his no-nonsense approach on the field.
During his time as captain at Old Trafford, Keane played a pivotal role in leading the Red Devils to their famous continental treble win in the 1998-99 season.
Despite his importance to United, the former Red Devils captain was axed from the Premier League club in 2005 after his falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Keane, who lifted seven Premier League titles, had a brief spell with Scottish side Celtic before he announced his retirement from football in 2006.
Keane makes ‘never obsessed’ claim
Speaking on the Stick to Football show, Roy Keane revealed that he was “never obsessed” with the shirt number he wore at Manchester United.
The United legend predominately wore the No 16 shirt at Old Trafford, despite also rotating through other squad numbers during his legendary playing career.
Keane recalled how he was famously urged to take the iconic No 7 shirt at United before suggesting to Sir Alex Ferguson that David Beckham should take it.
“I think it was my squad number, like in terms of my training number, when I first went to United,” he told The Overlap.
“And then I was just 16 as my number because obviously I think it was like, all the other numbers were taken.
“A few years later on, I told you the story was when I was asked to take number seven.
“And I went, ‘I’m OK with 16,’ because I remember saying to the manager, I remember saying, ‘Give it to Becks, Becks kind of wants it after Eric.’
“And so I was never obsessed with number 16. It was no big deal.”
Beckham on the No 7 Man Utd shirt
David Beckham wore the No 10 shirt in the 1996-97 season before he inherited the legendary No 7 shirt in the following campaign.
The 49-year-old United legend recalled his conversation with Ferguson when the club signed Teddy Sheringham and how he would be relieved of the No 10 shirt.
Speaking to Classic Football Shirts in 2023, he said: “I just went, ‘Hi,’ and he said, ‘It’s the boss,’ and obviously this was something different.
“He said, ‘We are signing Teddy Sheringham, we are taking the No 10.’ I was like, ‘No, boss, I had a great season in this No 10,’ he just said it doesn’t matter and that he would see me in a few weeks.
“That was it, the No 10 was taken off of me in one of the best seasons I had ever had. But then I arrived back to training and the boss says, ‘By the way, you have got No 7.’”