ROY KEANE and his fellow Sky Sports pundits are reportedly set to be protected by bodyguards for their coverage of Liverpool vs Man City this weekend.
Keane was caught up in a fan altercation at Portman Road on Sunday, ultimately offering to meet an Ipswich Town fan “in the car park” following a barrage of abuse from the supporter.
The Manchester United legend was ushered away from the incident by Sky production staff and Jamie Redknapp after things got heated on the touchline.
And according to The Mail, security staff are expected to be alongside the Sky Sports team for their coverage of Sunday’s big game.
They claim that Sky’s standard procedure includes a risk assessment on each fixture, with those games deemed high risk resulting in security staff accompanying pundits through public areas.
It’s reported that a big game such as Liverpool vs Man City is expected to be considered high risk and therefore will have security staff present at Anfield.
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The process is no different to how Sky normally approach their fixtures and security, it just so happens that their next televised game is a big game and considered as high risk.
It’s claimed that Sky have no plans to increase their security efforts going forward.
Sky Sports pundits Jamie Redknapp, Kelly Cates and Izzy Christiansen have all been asked to help investigate Sunday’s incident by the broadcaster.
Keane has found himself caught up in fan drama during Premier League fixtures in the past.
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In June, Arsenal fan Scott Law was given a three-year banning order by magistrates and ordered to pay £764 after head-butting Keane after a dispute in a lounge at the Emirates Stadium.
That incident occurred following the Gunners’ win over Man Utd in September 2023.
Keane has recently spoken out about his career as a pundit, hinting that he won’t keep going for much longer given the treatment he receives from fans.
He said: “I’ll struggle for the next 10 months doing this. I love football, but the hassle of matches, getting to games, and the hassle of fan.
“I was in court a few months ago with somebody headbutting me. Do you think I enjoy that side of it? Absolutely not.
“The games are fine [but] getting to the games, parking up, people shouting your name, good stuff, bad stuff, it’s a nuisance. Being a pundit in 10 years? No.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
