As someone who grew up idolising Roy Keane in his Manchester United pomp the following words feel like engaging in a terrible betrayal.
There weren't too many kids in the late 90s cutting about Scotland's muddiest pitches with 'Keane 16' adorning the back of their shirt, let me tell you.
Fast forward 20 years and the legendary Irishman's presence on a punditry panel is often as much a treat as watching him patrol the Old Trafford pitch.
No, you can't expect much in the way of modern day tactical musings but you can guarantee plenty of soundbites, side-eye and Micah Richards' bellowing, infectious laugh following Keane's latest scowling observation.
It's entertainment and perhaps why the idea of Keane landing a starring role would, at least, propel the Scottish football soap opera to new, unfathomable levels of patter.
The 49-year-old has been touted for the top job at Celtic, with Dermot Desmond known to be among his biggest fans down the years.
But if we can put a serious football hat back on for a moment, there are a number of reasons Keane shouldn't be the permanent successor to Neil Lennon.
It's been too long
Part of the reason we so often get to listen to the world according to Roy Keane on TV is he hasn't been in a top managerial job for over a decade.
To put that in context, the 49-year-old taking up his last post with Ipswich Town in 2009 is closer in time to this former aspiring midfielder hanging up his Keane jersey than it is to the present day.
And that was a lifetime ago, trust me.
Keane spent two seasons at Portman Road before being sacked in January 2011 with the club 19th in the Championship. Football has since moved on a considerable amount in a significant number of ways over the past 10 years and although Keane has remained in the game as assistant at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Ireland, the time has surely come and gone for him to manage Celtic.
He could've had the job back in 2014 but it ultimately wasn't to be. Celtic have faced accusations of not modernising their football operation and taking such a step back in time wouldn't really scream progressive.
Many fans don't want him
Presenting an already unhappy support with an unpopular managerial appointment would be a risk Celtic's hierarchy arguably cannot afford to take right now. Of course, they could be vindicated down the line should Keane prove to be a managerial masterstroke, but there's enough evidence to the contrary to make it a decidedly dodgy gamble.
The angry fan protests which punctuated Celtic's disastrous Premiership campaign were fuelled not just by poor results, but a sense that the club were not listening to supporters.
Nobody is suggesting the club should make decisions based solely on the mood music among fans but even the most cursory glance at Twitter or the various fan media outlets reveals Keane is not the man the people want.
Incoming chief-executive Dom McKay, by all accounts a shrewd operator, will be savvy enough to know the first decision with which his name is associated ought to be a popular one.
The Gerrard false comparison
There's been plenty of noise around the "blockbuster" scenario of Roy Keane vs Steven Gerrard, Manchester United legend vs Liverpool icon, two of the most revered midfielders of their generation squaring off in a Premiership title race.
Of course, it's a broadcaster's dream and we in the media could barely wish for a more tantalising narrative but would the comparison to Rangers appointing Gerrard really hold true?
The fanfare was all on the former Anfield captain when he arrived at Ibrox in 2018 but as time has passed, it's become abundantly clear the backroom team Rangers built around him has been every bit as important as Gerrard's star quality.
Of course, he has driven up standards, can attract players to the club and is clearly a talented manager. But it's as if Rangers noted the accusations of his appointment being a last-ditch punt on big name and decided they were going to take that personally.
It's something their Glasgow rivals would do well to acknowledge if they really do see Keane as an option.
Better options
Certainly the most obvious point to be made here, but there are simply better options out there for Celtic.
Social media whispers around Eddie Howe have reignited that particular speculation fire and would represent a much more forward-thinking appointment.
Tempting Howe north of the border when he'll surely have Premier League offers laid at his door this summer would be a significant statement of intent.
The former Bournemouth boss' brand of attacking football lifted the Cherries from League One obscurity to Premier League stardom and Celtic would provide a platform to further develop that philosophy without the threat of relegation looming large at all times.
Manchester City's Enzo Maresca is another contender, although parachuting him - a managerial novice - into the position could bring its own challenges.
The net does seem to be closing from those early post-Lennon days where there was a new favourite seemingly every few days, but not so much that Keane has now become Celtic's only serious candidate.
It doesn't fit the vision
There's every indication Celtic will pursue a director of football in addition to the arrival of McKay in the boardroom and whoever it may finally be in the dugout.
A director of football will serve as the foundation of the club's rebuild, overseeing necessary changes in the football operation and further strengthening areas which have previously excelled.
Celtic's transfer model has dug up some real gems over the years but the philosophy of attracting young, promising talent with the lure of winning trophies and European football before selling on when the time is right has arguably suffered more misses than hits in recent times.
It's difficult to see where Keane, a manager who was considered a bit too old school 10 years ago, would fit in selling the club to such young talents and bringing out the best in them.
Keane would be box office, no doubt, but it should prove to be a non-starter.
