Roy Keane Interview with Tommy Gorman
- RTE
Continued from
Keane / Gorman Interview 1
This Interview First Appeared on RTE
Television on 27 May 2002
Venue : Moat House Hotel, Manchester
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : Do you accept that the language used wasn't very nice.
Alex Ferguson has used expletives in his time and I know Mick
McCarthy has done, but would accept that it's not the kind of language
one expects from a leader of men.
Roy
Keane: This was a private team meeting. I didn't call the
press conference 15 minutes after the team meeting. I didn't go on and
say what apparently people were saying.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : But what about the language itself. Do you accept
that it wasn't very complimentary to Mick McCarthy and he was justified
in feeling hurt by it?
Roy Keane:
Justified in questioning my loyalty to my country? With the lads in front
of us saying that in the Iran match I faked an injury? He knew I wasn't
right. He spoke to Alex Ferguson on that Sunday morning, I hadn't played
for three and a half weeks. I reported, played on the Saturday, we won 2-0
and the manager said that's a positive result. I hadn't played for three
and a half weeks and it wouldn't be good for my knee (to play again in Iran).
That was the medical advice I had. Mick Byrne the physio came to my room
that Saturday night and I told him it was a little bit sore. Then Sunday
morning Alex Ferguson rang me and Mick (McCarthy) was there and I said look
the manager (Ferguson) wants me to go back because he classes 2-0 as a good
result and Mick said: 'Roy, thanks for coming over, we knew you weren't
quite right.' He said that to me. And I said to him at the meeting 'You're
a liar' I was still trying to stay calm at this stage but I'm not going
to accept that. Not in front of my team-mates and the staff. I will not
accept it.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : Will you accept that if there was wrong on his side,
then the language you used to him, you were wrong, you went in too hard.
Roy Keane:
If I felt for one second I was a little bit out of order then I would
apologise and I would go back. I'd love to play in the World Cup. But
I am 100% right. And that's not being arrogant or cocky. The last few
days, it's been hard, of course it has been. Everyone wants to play in
the World Cup but the things that went on in that room, people knew they
weren't happy with the conditions; senior players agreed with me. They
could have had their say and they just sat there. And I walked out of
that room and I walked out on my international career and not one person
backed me up, not one.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : Does that not make you suspect that maybe, in the
language you used, you were wrong. That's not the kind of language for
children to be hearing about. You're a role model.
Roy Keane:
It was a private meeting amongst men. These things aren't supposed to
go out. That's why I went to Mick's room on the Sunday night and I discussed
with it with him. Mick was the one who called it in front of everyone
else and said I'd turned my back on the players, that I faked a injury
not to go off to Iran when he knew damn well I wasn't right. And he's
supposed to be a man-manager. So of course there was going to be language.
I wasn't going to say 'excuse me Mick, I think you're a bit out of order'.
Of course you're going to use language. I said things to Mick and I'm
100% behind what I said.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : Were you sorry about the way you said it? It's not
a sign of weakness to say you're sorry.
Roy Keane:
I agree with you. No matter what you do in life you make decisions. Whether
it's moving house or moving jobs, getting your haircut, buying a pair
of shoes. You might have some doubts, did I do the right thing? But the
last few days, there's not one doubt in my mind where I stand, not one
doubt and that's good enough for me.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : How about Mick McCarthy. In Ireland there's a view that he's
an honest man, that he's a decent man, that as a footballer he was always
honest and he always did his best. Do you go along with that view?
Roy Keane:
Mick had a decent career and he's done very well. Personally I wouldn't
know Mick that well. All I know is the dealings I've had with him and
to be fair to Mick he's been very understanding with friendly matches
and coming in a couple of days late for certain matches. There's been
one or two games where he's let me go home for one or two days when we've
had back-to-back matches and he's been very understanding. But all that
came to an end the other night.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : But do you respect him. Do you recognise that during
the course of his career that when he put his foot in that he was doing
his best for Ireland?
Roy Keane:
Of course. I grew up watching him playing for Ireland and he did very
well playing for Ireland, like a lot of other players.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : And do you think he was doing his best as a manager?
Roy Keane:
No. I think he was at fault but that's my opinion and football's all about
opinions. That's what makes it a great game; why you get people in the
pubs, everywhere you go, it's all about opinions and I accept that. But
I'm entitled to my opinion.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : But I'm talking about his integrity and his sincerity
in trying to do his best because the view that most Irish people have
is that he does his best.
Roy Keane:
He probably does do his best.
Tommy Gorman -
RTE : Sometimes in life it can be very ironic because it's said
that one of the first rows you had with him was when you were a younger
man and when he bawled you out of it because you went out late. And do
you not see the irony of you crossing swords with McCarthy because some
of the younger players were going out at night and some of them might
be taking things too lax?
Roy Keane:
Players need to go out and enjoy themselves. I had them coming in, six,
seven in the morning. It was a great laugh and some of them told me all
about it. Good luck to them, I haven't got a problem with that. People
say I'm a loner and I lock myself away in my room. I think I'm very approachable.
A lot of the Irish lads approach me and talk to me and I'm always willing
to give advice. Like I've said, I've had my nights out, but I was getting
ready for a World Cup. If that's what they want to do good luck to them.
I haven't got a problem with them one bit. There was a barbecue arranged
for Monday night with the press. That's not my scene and said this to
Mick. There's people in the press I've had my disagreements with over
the years and I felt I didn't really want to go, but I went. Mick said
to us that he wanted the press on our side but I couldn't understand it.
But I went and then I went to bed about nine, 10pm and the lads went out
and they had a great night. Good luck to them.
© RTE Television 2002
Soccer-Ireland.Com thanks RTE
Television for permission to reproduce this interview here
Continued on
Roy Keane RTE Interview 3
: Back to
Keane Gorman Interview 1
Back to Saipan Affair
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