Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Roy Keane

Discover the career path of Roy Keane, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Roy Keane is a celebrated Irish football pundit, former coach, and player, renowned for his impactful career in the Premier League, most notably as captain of Manchester United. He is among the most decorated Irish footballers, securing 19 major trophies, with 17 earned during his time at Manchester United. Keane is widely considered one of history's best defensive midfielders and Premier League players, recognized by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1988: Participated in UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship

In 1988, Roy Keane was part of the squad that participated in the UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship, although he did not play.

August 1989: Cobh Ramblers Senior Debut

In August 1989, Roy Keane made his Cobh Ramblers senior debut in a match against Kilkenny City in the Opel League Cup.

1989: Signed for Cobh Ramblers

In 1989, Roy Keane signed for the semi-professional Irish club Cobh Ramblers after persuasion from Ramblers' youth team manager Eddie O'Rourke.

February 1990: Nottingham Forest Scout Attention

In February 1990, Roy Keane's performance in an FAI Youth Cup match attracted the attention of Nottingham Forest scout Noel McCabe.

1990: Joins Nottingham Forest

In 1990, Roy Keane joined Nottingham Forest and played in the Under-21s team, eventually making his professional league debut against Liverpool.

1990: Man of the Match for Republic of Ireland Under-19

In 1990, Roy Keane was named man of the match for the Republic of Ireland national under-19 team when they beat Hungary to qualify for the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.

1991: Becomes Regular Starter for Nottingham Forest

By 1991, Roy Keane was a regular starter for Nottingham Forest, and scored three goals during a run to the 1991 FA Cup Final.

1991: Qualified for the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship

In 1990, The Republic of Ireland qualified for the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.

1991: First Call-Up to Under-21s Match

In 1991, Roy Keane was called up for his first game at the international level, an under-21s match against Turkey. He disliked the organization and preparation surrounding the Irish team and had numerous confrontations with the Irish management.

1992: Negotiates Contract with Relegation Escape Clause

In 1992, Roy Keane negotiated a new contract with Nottingham Forest that included a relegation escape clause, and Blackburn Rovers agreed to a £4 million fee for him.

1992: Signs for Manchester United

In 1992, Roy Keane signed for Manchester United.

August 1993: First Goals for Manchester United

On August 18, 1993, Roy Keane scored his first two goals for Manchester United in a 3–0 Premier League win against Sheffield United.

1993: Extended run in Manchester United Team

In 1993, Roy Keane had an extended run in the Manchester United team due to injuries to other players, scoring twice on his home debut and grabbing the winner in the Manchester derby.

1994: 1994 FIFA World Cup

In 1994, Roy Keane played in every Republic of Ireland game at the FIFA World Cup.

1994: Participation in 1994 FIFA World Cup

Roy Keane participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. and played in every game, including a victory over Italy. He was named the best player of Ireland's campaign but expressed disappointment with the team's overall performance.

1995: Most Experienced Player

In 1995, Roy Keane became the most experienced player in midfield at Manchester United after several player departures and the introduction of younger players.

1997: Captain of Manchester United

In 1997, Roy Keane became the captain of Manchester United, a position he held until 2005.

1997: Takes Over as Club Captain

In 1997, Roy Keane took over as club captain of Manchester United after Eric Cantona's retirement, though he missed most of the 1997-98 season due to injury.

1999: Contract Negotiations

In 1999, Roy Keane and Manchester United began prolonged contract negotiations, with Keane turning down an initial £2 million-a-year offer.

1999: Treble win for Manchester United

In 1999, Roy Keane captained Manchester United to win the FA Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, and scored the only goal in the final of the Intercontinental Cup against Palmeiras in Tokyo.

November 2002: Mick McCarthy's Resignation

In November 2002, Mick McCarthy resigned as Ireland manager, raising the possibility of Roy Keane's return to the squad.

2002: Qualification for 2002 World Cup

Ireland secured qualification for the 2002 World Cup with match-winning performances from Roy Keane, going undefeated against Portugal and the Netherlands.

May 2003: League Title Win After Hip Surgery

After reflecting on his injuries and suspensions, Roy Keane became more restrained on the field and led the team to another league title in May 2003.

April 2004: Return to Irish Team

In April 2004, Roy Keane was brought back into the Irish team by Brian Kerr to face Romania.

2004: End of Contract

Roy Keane was committed to Manchester United until 2004, after his higher demands were eventually met midway through the 1999–2000 season.

February 2005: 50th Goal for Manchester United

On February 5, 2005, Roy Keane scored his 50th goal for Manchester United in a league game against Birmingham City.

March 2005: Last Goal for Manchester United

On March 12, 2005, Roy Keane scored his last goal for Manchester United in a 4–0 FA Cup win against Southampton.

December 2005: Signed as Celtic Player

On December 15, 2005, Roy Keane was announced as a Celtic player, the team he supported as a child.

2005: Departure from Manchester United

In 2005, Roy Keane departed from Manchester United after being captain since 1997.

January 2006: Celtic Debut

In January 2006, Roy Keane made his debut for Celtic in a 2–1 defeat to Clyde in the Scottish Cup. He criticized some of his new teammates during the match.

May 2006: Testimonial Match at Old Trafford

On May 9, 2006, Roy Keane's testimonial match took place at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Celtic, with United winning 1–0. Keane played the first half for Celtic and the second half for Manchester United, and the proceeds were donated to Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

June 2006: Retirement from Professional Football

On June 12, 2006, Roy Keane announced his retirement from professional football on medical advice, just six months after joining Celtic. This prompted praise from former colleagues and managers, including Sir Alex Ferguson.

2006: Retirement from International Football

After failing to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, Roy Keane announced his retirement from international football to prolong his club career.

2006: Retirement as a Player

In 2006, Roy Keane retired as a player after winning the Scottish Premier League and Scottish League Cup with Celtic.

2006: Appointment as Sunderland Manager

In 2006, Roy Keane signed a three-year deal to become the manager of Sunderland after their victory over West Bromwich Albion. He appointed Tony Loughlan as head coach and made six new player signings, including Dwight Yorke and Liam Miller.

January 2007: Sunderland player signings

In January 2007, Roy Keane signed five new players for Sunderland during the transfer window, including Anthony Stokes, Carlos Edwards, and Stern John on permanent contracts, as well as Jonny Evans and Danny Simpson on loan from Manchester United.

2007: Keane heard of his team's promotion while walking Triggs

In 2007, Roy Keane reportedly heard of his team's promotion to the Premiership while he was walking his dog, Triggs.

December 2008: Resignation from Sunderland

In December 2008, Roy Keane resigned as manager of Sunderland.

2008: Displeasure with Media Work

In 2008, Roy Keane expressed his lack of enthusiasm for media work, stating he would rather go to the dentist than work with commentators like Richard Keys.

February 2009: Resignation as Sunderland Manager

In February 2009, Roy Keane cited differences with Sunderland's shareholder Ellis Short and strains with chairman Niall Quinn as the factors in his decision to resign as Sunderland manager.

April 2009: Manager of Ipswich Town

In April 2009, Roy Keane became the manager of Championship club Ipswich Town.

April 2009: Appointment as Ipswich Town Manager

On April 23, 2009, Roy Keane was appointed as the new manager of Ipswich Town on a two-year contract. His first game in charge was on the following Saturday with a 3–0 away win over Cardiff City.

January 2011: Departure from Ipswich Town

In January 2011, Roy Keane left his position as manager of Ipswich Town.

January 2011: Dismissal as Ipswich Manager

In January 2011, Roy Keane was dismissed as Ipswich Town manager due to a poor run of form that saw the team drop to 21st in the Championship.

2011: ITV Chief Football Analyst

In the 2011–12 season, Roy Keane became ITV chief football analyst, appearing on nearly every Live ITV match alongside presenter Adrian Chiles and Gareth Southgate.

2012: Euro 2012 punditry

Roy Keane worked for ITV during Euro 2012 alongside Patrick Vieira, Roberto Martínez, and Gordon Strachan.

November 2013: Assistant Manager of Republic of Ireland

In November 2013, Roy Keane was appointed assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national team.

November 2013: Appointment as Republic of Ireland Assistant Manager

On November 5, 2013, Roy Keane was appointed as the assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland, under manager Martin O'Neill. Their first match was a 3–0 victory against Latvia on November 15, 2013.

July 2014: Appointment as Aston Villa Assistant Manager

On July 1, 2014, Roy Keane was confirmed as Aston Villa's new assistant manager, working alongside manager Paul Lambert, while also serving as assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland.

November 2014: Resignation as Aston Villa Assistant Manager

On November 28, 2014, Roy Keane quit his role as assistant manager at Aston Villa to concentrate on his assistant manager role with Ireland.

2014: Assistant Manager at Aston Villa

In 2014, Roy Keane had a short spell as assistant manager at Aston Villa.

2015: ITV Punditry Role

From 2015 to 2018, Roy Keane worked for ITV during his time as Republic of Ireland Assistant on UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League highlights shows but didn't appear on International Football apart from on the Final of UEFA Euro 2016.

2016: Euro 2016 coverage

In 2016, Roy Keane covered UEFA Euro 2016 for ITV Sport.

November 2018: Departure from Republic of Ireland

In November 2018, Roy Keane and Martin O'Neill left their jobs as assistant manager and manager respectively of the Republic of Ireland by "mutual agreement".

2018: ITV World Cup coverage

In 2018, Roy Keane covered the 2018 FIFA World Cup for ITV Sport and appeared again on England Qualifiers from 2018.

2018: End of Assistant Manager Role

In 2018, Roy Keane's role as assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national team concluded.

January 2019: Appointment as Nottingham Forest Assistant Manager

In January 2019, Roy Keane became assistant manager to Martin O'Neill at Nottingham Forest.

June 2019: Departure from Nottingham Forest

In June 2019, Roy Keane left his role as assistant manager at Nottingham Forest.

September 2019: Joins Sky Sports

In September 2019, Roy Keane joined Sky Sports to work on Super Sunday.

2019: Assistant Manager at Nottingham Forest

In 2019, Roy Keane had a short spell as assistant manager at Nottingham Forest.

2020: Euro 2020 coverage

In 2020, Roy Keane covered UEFA Euro 2020 for ITV Sport.

2021: ITV chief analyst for FA Cup

In 2021-2022, Roy Keane became ITV chief analyst for FA Cup appearing alongside Ian Wright.

2022: ITV chief analyst for FA Cup