Manchester United legend, Roy Keane, recently made headlines by admitting that he had crossed the line with his criticism of defender Harry Maguire. The former United captain has been one of Maguire's most vocal critics and has now publicly apologised for his harsh comments.
Maguire, during his tenure at Manchester United, has frequently found himself under fire from ex-players and media alike. However, it was Keane who emerged as one of the defender's harshest critics. Following a 5-0 defeat against Liverpool in 2021, Keane performed an impression of Maguire on Sky Sports show accusing him of lacking professionalism.
Keane didn't mince words when he called both Maguire and teammate Luke Shaw "an absolute disgrace to the club" due to their lacklustre performances against Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Accusations against team strategy
Earlier this year after a 2-1 loss in the Fulham match, Keane further criticised Maguire for holding back his teammates from pressing high and aggressively on the pitch. He insisted that the team was "frightened to death" about pushing higher up due to fears that it would expose weaknesses in Maguire's defence.
Manchester United manager, Roy Keane, said:
“I was harsh on Harry Maguire for footballing reasons and obviously we do a lot of [Manchester] United matches – obviously he’s struggled at United, had a tough time with England – but more so club level. ”
“We’re on about the mental health of players, and I’ve crossed the line with Maguire – I mocked him a little bit and it’s not nice.”
“I’ve played the game, I know how hard it is, but I’m also big enough. I bumped into Harry a few months ago and I apologised to him. Sometimes as pundits we get it wrong as well, but there is a point where you go, if it’s personal then you’re crossing the line.”
An apology issued
However, in a surprising turn of events, Roy Keane admitted that he had overstepped with his comments about Maguire. Despite being known for not shying away from expressing strong opinions about players' performances or tactics used by teams during matches; this time around he acknowledged crossing a line.
Despite facing such heavy criticism and Manchester United’s struggles as a club overall; it is worth noting that Harry enjoyed an improved performance during the 2023/24 season. Unfortunately though injury prevented him from securing a spot in Gareth Southgate’s final squad for Euro 2024.
The apology from Keane to Maguire is a reminder of the intense pressure and scrutiny that players face, not just from fans and media, but also from former players. It's a testament to the high standards set by Manchester United legends like Keane, who expect nothing less than excellence on the pitch. However, it also serves as a lesson about maintaining respect and decorum in criticism.
