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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Aidan Macdonald

Roy Keane details Manchester United to Celtic drop in standards 'shock'

Roy Keane has claimed he he enjoyed his time at Celtic despite there being "one or two idiots" in the playing squad.

The former Ireland international finished his career at Parkhead after leaving Manchester United.

He made his debut in the 2-1 Scottish Cup defeat to Clyde but would go onto to win a League Cup and Scottish Premiership during his six months in Glasgow.

And Keane has opened up on the culture shock he received when he first joined the Hoops, particularly in terms of the standards of the training ground.

Speaking on Gary Neville's Stick to Football podcast, he said: "I went to Celtic, an iconic and amazing club. The stadium is amazing, but I hadn’t really seen the training ground.

"I’m going back a few years – they have a good one now. I was in the dressing room with Celtic – we got changed at Celtic Park and drove to the ground in our boots and gear.

“I didn’t kick a ball at Celtic – I was injured all the time. What I did enjoy – for all my comfort zone at Manchester United, and I loved every minute of my time at United – was that it was good to be in another dressing room for six months.

"The Celtic lads, there were one or two idiots but generally speaking, they are great lads. I mixed with different lads, different dynamics, and I really enjoyed my time at Celtic."

Keane also claimed that then-manager Gordon Strachan "took a step back" from transfers and that this was something he admired.

"When Gordon Strachan was manager at Celtic, Celtic and Gordon had a bit of success, but he said he backed away from all transfers," he continued.

"He went, ‘I've bought too many bad players’. Gordon held his hand up and said, ‘I'm not good at spotting players and bringing players in’.

"He'd obviously had some success in terms bringing players in when he was at Coventry, but he got to the stage where he went, ‘I'm backing away from all [transfers]’.

"I'm sure he had some sort of conversations but didn't get involved and that's an experienced manager."

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