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6th March 2024
11:51am GMT
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been speaking about his relationship with Roy Keane, and the time that he "was going to come for him" after the Irishman threw one insult too many.
Solskjaer and Keane were teammates at Manchester United during the club's most successful period under Sir Alex Ferguson, and the two enjoyed a healthy relationship on and off the pitch.
However, the former Red Devils captain is famous for his loose tongue and is well known for giving out a lashing whenever he felt it was needed, something that the former United striker knew too well.
One incident in particular was when Solskjaer felt that the insults being hurled at him went too far, and all hell was about to break loose.
The 51-year-old said he had a 'decent' relationship with Keane, who always 'moaned' and 'shouted' at him.
"It’s been good (my relationship with Roy Keane) - it’s been decent.
"He always moaned and shouted at me and that’s how I knew he cared, and he felt that I could help the team," he said in the latest episode of Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet.
"I’m not sure if Roy knows this, Tottenham away, White Hart Lane - we’re counterattacking, and I made a bad decision of not passing to Roy just before half-time and he was giving me everything," he added.
"Absolutely all sorts of insults and about 15, 20 yards ahead of me, and I lost it. I was going to come for him! Carlos Queiroz stopped me, 'It’s not worth it Ole' – I’d be dead!"
For most of their time together on the pitch, however, things were as harmonious as they could be when you consider Keane's temperament, and the former United captain always had a lot of respect for the Iceland native.
Solskjaer is often referred to as the 'super sub' because during the majority of his time at Old Trafford, he wasn't the first-choice striker, but would regularly come on and clinch important goals.
The most important of these goals was, of course, the winner against Barcelona in the 1999 Champions League final that secured the cup, and the historic treble.
It wasn't his goals that impressed Keane though, as the Sky Sports pundit couldn't credit him enough for his professionalism and attitude, especially as a player who wasn't regarded as a regular starter.
"It’s so important when you talk about the substitutes on the bench not paying attention. You see some subs on the bench, and I’ve seen them whilst I was a manager and the lads, they’re not watching the game and not concentrating," he explained.
"There are certain lads like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who would be watching the game properly and focussed, then they come onto the pitch and affect the games."
