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Keane Admits Intent to Hurt Haaland in Derby
12 Jul
Summary
- Keane revealed he deliberately hit Haaland hard.
- He admitted wanting to hurt Haaland, not injure him.
- Haaland played four days later, refuting retirement claims.
Roy Keane, the former Manchester United captain, has detailed his infamous tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland during a Manchester derby. Writing in his 2002 autobiography, Keane admitted to deliberately hitting Haaland hard, stating, "I f****** hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c***. And don't ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries."
Keane clarified in a later autobiography that while he intended to hurt Haaland, he did not wish to injure him. He described Haaland as an "absolute p**** to play against" and that he "did want to nail him and let him know what was happening." He emphasized the aggressive nature of football as "dog eats dog."
Despite the severity of the challenge in 2001, Haaland finished the match and played again for Norway just four days later. Keane refuted Haaland's subsequent claims that the tackle led to his retirement, noting that Haaland had intended to sue him. Keane contrasted this with other players he had injured, asserting he knew the difference between hurting and injuring an opponent.
