ROY KEANE and Micah Richards have formed an unlikely bromance as two of Sky Sports’ leading pundits.
Manchester United legend Keane, 52, is known for his straight-talking, no-nonsense take on football.
Richards, 35, is a far more jovial character, often seen laughing uncontrollably at one his Irish counterpart’s opinions.
And the ex-Manchester City defender was seen backing Keane up on Sunday after a fan allegedly headbutted the Treble winner.
Footage shows shows Richards stepping in and pinning the man against the wall moments after the alleged assault.
And their desire to stand up for one another clearly stems from a place of respect.
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The pair have spoken glowingly about one another in the past.
Speaking last year, Richards hailed Keane’s charisma as he named him as his favourite pundit.
He said: “Say you’re at home this Sunday. You’ve had your delicious Sunday dinner.
“You turn on the telly, switch on Super Sunday. Who do you want to see?
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“If Keano is on, you know it’s going to be entertaining. His brutal honesty is brilliant.
“Before we got to know each other, Chris, I used to think you were just some wind-up merchant!
“Now I work with you, you’re only half-bad, because I know you just say it like it is.
“But in terms of entertainment value, it’s Roy Keane, all day, everyday.”
And it’s not just a one-way street.
Keane playfully joked about his double act with Richards on social media two years ago.
It came after he shared a picture of him chatting with Arsenal legend Ian Wright.
And Keane added the caption: “With my mate Wrighty watching the football. Don’t be jealous Micah.”
The pair are regularly seen on screen passionately debating the biggest issues in football.
Even on Sunday, the two pundits got into a big disagreement over Arsenal’s goalkeeping situation.
And it was hilariously diffused by Theo Walcott – who found it amusing that he was caught in the middle.
But the pair have maintained their brilliant relationship throughout – with Richards speaking about his huge admiration for Keane last year.
He told The Athletic: “But Roy is everything I didn’t expect him to be. It’s hard to explain without going over the top, but there’s this perception that he’s an angry, old… but he’s the nicest, most considerate guy.
“And on the other hand, I think I’ve helped bring out a side of him that a lot of people wouldn’t see. And I take great pride in that.
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“I know I sometimes go a bit over the top in terms of getting reactions, but I love working with him.
“It’s almost awkward because Roy Keane has asked me to go for a coffee, you know what I mean?”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
