David Meyler has recalled how two World Cup winners approached Roy Keane after a match - with one even asking him for a selfie.
The Boys in Green faced Italy in a friendly clash at Craven Cottage ahead of the 2014 World Cup, with the game finishing 0-0.
But afterwards Andrea Pirlo and Danielle De Rossi wanted to meet the Manchester United legend.
Meyler told Off The Ball: "After the game we were just waiting on the bus. Anyway, Pirlo walks over to Roy to just shake his hand and say hello.
"Then Danielle De Rossi went up to Roy and asked him for a photograph. As much as we’re looking on then thinking these fellas are World Cup winners and phenomenal players, they’re all going up to Roy.
"You see a lot of people nowadays on social media say that Roy Keane wasn’t that great and just happened to be a great captain. When you see the level of respect he has from those kinds of players it shows how good he was."
Ireland famously defeated Italy 1-0 at Euro 2016 thanks to a late goal from Robbie Brady and another Italian great congratulated Keane on the win.
Meyler added: “Most of you wouldn’t have seen this at the time, but I was on the bench when Robbie Brady scored against Italy.
“After the game, Gigi Buffon actually went over and hugged Martin and Roy, just to kind of say well done. He was just a big, friendly Italian fella. Even then though, Roy was kind of a bit, ‘Get off me’, you know.”
