Manchester United didn’t see the Roy Keane that Nottingham Forest supporters did, former team-mate Teddy Sheringham has said.
While Keane made his name at Forest in the early 1990s, it is his time at Old Trafford for which he is best remembered around the country.
However, the player seen captaining the Red Devils was not the one that first showed his talents at the City Ground, believes Sheringham, who played with Keane at both clubs.
“He might have been 19 at Forest, it was second full season, and his engine was ridiculous," Sheringham told OTB Sports.
“The way I played, I came off centre-halves, controlled balls and I needed midfield players who were going to run past me to leave a question mark for the centre-half.
“Keaney was fantastic like that. He had such an engine that every time the ball came up to me he would be running past me getting on to flick-ons.
“As soon as the ball went back then he would be tracking back and making tackles, then it would come back to me and he would be running past me again.
“It was unbelievable, he had a massive engine.
“He just seemed to want to run all day and people couldn't compete with him. That's why Manchester United bought him for big money because they knew he was going to be a top player.
“He was a completely different player (at United). I don't know whether the manager had spoken to him or whether certain injuries had slowed him down a little bit, but he was more about controlling the ball in central midfield.
“He still had a very good engine, not like it was in the Forest days, but he was a more rounded and complete player by the time I came to United.”
Although Keane became United skipper, leading them to the treble in 1999, Sheringham said he was not one of the leaders during his time at Forest.
There were enough experienced heads alright.
“No, I wouldn't say he was a leader (at Forest), not at all,” added Sheringham.
“He was a leader in his manner and in taking the game to the opposition, he didn’t care who he was playing against, but we had leaders in Stuart Pearce, Des Walker and Nigel Clough.
"Keaney was just having fun then I think because he was still a young man, still enjoying himself playing football.”
