Gary Neville on Keane, Best
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Departed heroes who meant so much to different generations
By Gary Neville
PLAYERS like me owe a lot to George Best because he helped to build the legend that is Manchester United. Perhaps we owe George more than most because he epitomised the flair and the magic that has always been associated with this great club down the years.
From what I have seen and heard, he seemed to own the stage when he played at Old Trafford. And, of course, he helped to win those trophies — the championship and the European Cup — which are now the benchmark for every United team.
He is up there among the greatest United players because, just as my grandad would talk about Duncan Edwards, my Dad would pass down the stories about George Best. Growing up, my hero was Bryan Robson and I know that if I had been a young lad in the last decade, I would have idolised Roy Keane.
These are the heroes who inspire young Reds, and other kids far and wide, to want to become footballers and it would be wrong to do a column without speaking about Roy, the most influential player I have come across. The manager summed it up when he described Roy as the greatest midfield player of his generation. There have probably been more talented footballers in his position, but no one could match him for overall effect. He was a great presence at United, a man who could lift everyone around him. Even when you thought you were giving 100 per cent, he would somehow squeeze another 10 out of you.
You might believe that you were playing well, but then you would drop a throw-in a couple of yards short instead of to feet. Roy would be on to you in an instant and that ability to drive others to produce their very best was probably his greatest attribute. People compare him to Patrick Vieira, but they were a world apart in terms of the influence they exerted on their teams.
There are hundreds of memories of Keano, but one stands out from recent weeks when I sent around a text message saying “this is Gary Neville’s new mobile number”. A few minutes later, my phone beeped with a reply saying “so what?” That was Roy’s sense of humour.
I have witnessed the departures of Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes, Peter Schmeichel and David Beckham and it is always a sad day when you say farewell to footballers of that calibre. But it has happened throughout time in football and Roy will be the first to acknowledge that the club have to move on to the next challenge. And we have some massive tests in the next few weeks.
Reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League is not even par for the course at Old Trafford and so our match away to Benfica in just under a fortnight is huge. This club always generates big headlines and we have seen more doom-mongering since the 0-0 draw at home to Villarreal on Tuesday night, but it is very much in our hands when we travel to Lisbon.
Our failure to score more goals in Europe is mystifying because Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy have been looking razor sharp and combining well. I thought we deserved to win against Villarreal and, after the fantastic performances against Chelsea and Charlton Athletic, we can travel to West Ham United tomorrow with optimism. With four Premiership games at home after that, it is a big one for us to win.
I got one of the biggest cheers of my life when I came on in midweek, although the fans might have wanted to pack me off again after a couple of passes. I was still feeling my way back after the best part of three months on the sidelines, but after another 75 minutes in the reserves on Thursday night, I am getting back my match fitness. I want to be involved in these games as we look to progress in Europe and step up the pressure on Chelsea in the Premiership . This club is used to winning trophies and I remain convinced that we will continue to do that.
Assez enorme le texto de Keano avec le "so what" ^^
