Roy Keane has the most Roy Keane defence imaginable for his infamous Haaland tackle

'This is my last time talking about this tackle'

Roy Keane has sensationally defended his tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland in 2001, claiming he “didn’t think it was that bad”. 

Keane has a long-running history with Haaland from their playing days, dating back to September 1997 when Haaland, then playing for Leeds, stood over Keane and accused him of feigning injury when he had ruptured his cruciate ligament.

Keane got his own back in 2001, raking his studs down Haaland’s knee in a Manchester derby.

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The Irishman was sent off, and Haaland’s knee was never the same again, making just four substitute appearances before returning.

Keane then said in his autobiography about the incident: “I’d waited long enough. I f***ing hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c***.”

This earned him an extra £150,000 fine and a five-match ban.

Keane wanted to hurt Haaland, not injure him

Asked about his admission in his autobiography on Stick To Football, Keane bizarrely defended the tackle, claiming he wanted to hurt Haaland, but not injure him.

"This is my last time talking about this tackle. I still don't think it was a bad tackle, I really don't, I don't care what anybody says. It's not as bad as everyone thinks it is.

"When you play sport, the speed we play it at, you know there is a difference between hurting somebody and injuring somebody. Big difference. That was argument. I was trying to hurt somebody not injure somebody."