Nowadays Roy Keane is well known for his cutting quips and quick-witted remarks as a television pundit.
But when the Irishman was just breaking through at Nottingham Forest, as one of the newcomers, he was the one on the receiving end.
England great Paul Gascoigne has recalled how he managed to get inside the head of a young Keane when he was making his way with the Reds.
The two crossed paths on the pitch when Gascoigne was still with Tottenham Hotspur and Keane was at the City Ground, having made the move from Irish side Cobh Ramblers in 1990.
Later on in his playing days, former Forest assistant boss Keane would have become wise to such antics - but Gasgoigne says he took great delight in taunting the midfielder, playing mind games with him when he was just starting out.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he recalled how he loved to talk to players to distract them during matches. It seemed to work with Keane.
“Years ago, when I played against Roy Keane, they were saying he was the new kid on the block,” Gascoigne said.
“In the tunnel, I went to Keane, 'welcome to your worst nightmare'.
“I talked to him for 90 minutes. I was saying, 'I'm going out with ya wife'. He said, 'I'm not married'. I said, 'aye, she's there in the stands'. He'd look up and I'd just go off with the ball.
“He went to the newspapers afterwards, 'thank God that game's over, I've never been talked to so much in my life'.
“I'd talk and talk and talk. 'How are you doing? Where you from? What you doing tonight? What you doing tomorrow?'
“One guy came face to face for an argument, so I grabbed him and gave him the biggest kiss. That ruined the rest of his game. The fans were laughing at him.”
