THERE is no love lost between Roy Keane and Alf Inge Haaland.
The pair clashed on multiple occasions during their playing careers in the Premier League.
Their rivalry came to a head during a Manchester derby in 2001, with Keane playing for United and Haaland playing for City.
After Haaland, father of current City star Erling, had clipped the ball away, his Irish opponent came steaming in.
The United skipper raked his studs into Haaland’s leg with brute force.
Haaland’s knee was never the same again, and he made just four substitute appearances the following season before having to retire aged just 30.
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Keane, now 51, was initially slapped with a standard three-match ban and £5,000 ban.
But the incident was dredged back up the following year upon the release of his autobiography.
He wrote: “I’d waited long enough. “I f***ing hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c***.”
The FA subsequently handed Keane a further five-game ban and £150k fine.
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His disdain for Haaland stemmed from an incident four years earlier, while the midfielder played for Leeds.
After Keane went down in a clash in 1997, Haaland furiously stood over him, accusing his opponent of feigning injury.
It turned out that Keane had in fact ruptured his cruciate ligament
The incident, which occurred in September 1997, would keep Keane out for the remainder of that season.
Both were in attendance for City’s 6-3 victory over United in October last year.
Keane was there in his capacity as a pundit for Sky Sports, while Haaland was there watching his son Erling, who went on to score a hat-trick.
United host City tomorrow aiming to avenge their loss earlier in the campaign.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
