Manchester United great Paul Ince and Arsenal legend Martin Keown were involved in an awkward, uncomfortable and somewhat frosty exchange following the announcement of the Football Focus Player of the Year award on Saturday.
The pundits appeared on the BBC Sport show where Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk pipped Manchester City ’s Raheem Sterling to win another gong, hot on the heels of his PFA award earlier this week.
Presenter Dan Walker asked the pair for their thoughts on the decision voted by the viewers, but Keown chipped in first, insisting that Ince's opinion ‘didn’t matter’ because van Dijk was a worthy winner, regardless.
Keown started by saying: “I don’t care what he thinks” while motioning towards Ince.
He then added: “I think it’s about time we had a defender that got (the recognition).
“I think it was John Terry in 2004, that’s an awful long time ago.
“The fella (Van Dijk) has everything. Leadership, mobility, pace, aerial strength. Yeah, he deserves it.”
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Former Manchester United ace, Ince, wasn’t best pleased with Keown, initially responding to the next question from Walker with:
“It doesn’t matter, because he doesn’t care what I think so there’s no point in me saying anything.”
But Ince showed he’s not going soft in his later years, proving that he still has the grit and determination that we used to see on a matchday, when he continued putting his point across soon after.
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“I would have gone for Sterling, on the basis of how he’s matured with the stuff that he’s gone through on and off the pitch,” he said,
The Guv'nor then refused to allow Keown to speak when he tried to interrupt, adding:
“Dan was talking to me about Sterling, okay?
“Both could have won, but Sterling has been the spokesman for all the racism that’s been going on, he’s matured, he’s now the main man and plays in all the big games for City.”
The pair agreed at the end that both would be worthy winners.
