The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 259: Football is the best, and I am also willing to fight

"When I first met Ferguson, I knew he was a great coach and I wanted to work for him wholeheartedly. When I first stepped on the grass here, I fell in love with everything about Old Trafford. The air here makes me feel very comfortable, and everything here makes me excited and eager. I can't wait to get into training and games and strive for more success."

——Roy Keane

On July 1993, 7, the Red Devils officially announced that they had signed Roy Keane, a young midfielder from Nottingham Forest, for a record-breaking £19 million. Although the journalists had known the explosive news before the fans, they were still shocked.

For Roy Keane, the price was not what bothered him, and even the salary was not his biggest concern. The most important thing was that he became a Manchester United player on that day. From that day on, he would write a red Manchester United career.

At the media and fans' meeting, Roy Keane was a little shy. He was very honest at that time and would not change his mind. In an interview, he said that he did not like the Red Devils when he was a child, nor did he like Liverpool and Arsenal, which made the Red Devils press officer laugh.

When did it start to change? Keane said that when he grew up, his football idol became the Manchester United captain Robson, and that's when he started to like the Manchester United.

Keane said, "The call from Ferguson and Robson was irresistible. I have always been a fan of Robson, and he didn't even know how much influence he had on me. When Ferguson called me personally in the summer, I was shocked. I didn't expect to have the opportunity to join the Red Devils. After meeting Robson and Ferguson, I never wanted to sign with any other club. I am very glad that I didn't sign any other contracts at that time. I couldn't refuse the Red Devils, a 'world's most famous' club, where my idol Robson was, and he personally invited me to join."

As a superstar of his generation, Bryan Robson has a huge influence on young people who love football in the three islands of England. He is the life ideal and career template of almost all young players and has great appeal to all young people. Robson's personal charm far exceeds that of stars such as Pearce, Beardsley and Adams. He is the king of household registration who can truly win the respect of the entire English football world. Keane has always felt that he grew up learning and imitating Robson. No matter which team he is in, he hopes to do everything Robson has done. Robson's running, advancement, control, as well as defensive competition, steals, interceptions, confrontations, filling and covering, even including offensive organization, back-up shooting, and grabbing points in the penalty area, every field is very outstanding, and every action is very chic. In the eyes of players like Keane, Robson in his prime is omnipresent and powerful between the two penalty areas.

Keane's biggest insight into Robson's performance is how to become the core of the midfield. It was from Robson that Keane learned that one does not need to have dazzling skills to become a strong midfield core. Robson can not only compete with the talented Maradona, but also overpower a group of powerful opponents. He is an all-around midfield commander. Keane really wants to be like Robson, so he keeps imitating and learning in the Forest team, and keeps growing until now he can join the Red Devils and play with Robson.

Ferguson had asked Robson to call Keane personally before, and later asked the captain to accompany him to be interviewed by reporters. It was a great honor for Keane, who later said that his soul was trembling with excitement, and every cell in his body was full of energy.

Keane's transfer set a record for the Premier League transfer fee. The media dug up various stories about Keane and compared him with the Forest players that Ferguson had bought before, sparking a wave of discussion against Keane.

Ferguson ignored it, he was elated about successfully poaching from Dalglish. He really valued Keane and wanted to train him as the core of the Red Devils' midfield for the next 10 years and to train him as Robson's successor. The highest transfer fee in the Premier League was nothing, Roy Keane was a priceless treasure in Ferguson's eyes.

This deal is definitely Ferguson's masterpiece.

Ferguson hopes that in the foreseeable future, Keane, the Irish tough guy, will take over from Bryan Robson, serve as the core of the midfield, become the team's leader, and lead the team forward. Robson has reached the end of his career, while Keane is 22 years old, which is the golden age with enough room for growth. The most perfect arrangement now is that Robson is still in the team, he can lead Keane to grow, and can pass on to Keane the tradition of the Red Devils, and teach him how to be a true leader.

The Red Devils dressing room knew early on that Ferguson was going to buy Keane, and the whole team was full of expectations for this newcomer. They had heard about Keane's early years of ups and downs, his growth in the Forest team, and the disputes and fights between Keane and others, so they also hoped to eliminate everyone's unfamiliarity through some special exchanges.

It was Keane's first day at the Red Devils. After the team meeting, the traditional "welcome" program came on stage. But when Ince was carrying a bucket of water to give Keane a greeting gift, Keane stopped his impulse with his eyes.

Keane, who was only 22 years old at the time, already had enough murderous intent. He stood up and looked around. His sharp eyes made everyone feel uneasy, and there was an extremely awkward silence in the locker room.

Lee Sharpe and Giggs approached with a playful look, wanting to try something new, but Keane grabbed their shoulders one by one and they were unable to move.

Lee Sharp recalled, "We all knew about Keane's temper. He was very wild before he joined us. We had all played against him in the league, so we knew how hot-tempered and fierce he was. But despite this, everyone felt that he was only 22 years old and still a newcomer, so it was okay to play a prank on him. We discussed giving him a welcome gift. But the aura of being away from strangers when he first entered the locker room scared everyone. His face was highly nervous and alert, and he looked ready to fight with everyone, which really made everyone a little scared. No one dared to use their pranks, and the so-called welcome party was a failure. Everyone might be thinking, he is a boxer, don't let him beat you up!"

Finally, it was the fearless Sharp who broke the ice. He put on a harmless smile and chatted with Keane, "Um...are you coming to fight with us? Or are you coming to play football with us?"

"I think it's best to play football, but if you want to fight, I'll join you!" Keane said.

Captain Robson introduced Keane's new teammates one by one, arranged a special wardrobe for him, and officially accepted him on behalf of the locker room, the newcomer who came with the halo of the most expensive player.

Despite his impressive appearance, Keane was nervous about joining the Premier League champions from a relegated team. Keane later said in his autobiography, "I was looking forward to really getting to know my teammates in the Red Devils. I was deeply impressed by their maturity and confidence. Pierce was a real man before, but he was more like leading a group of children into battle. Now I find that there are too many real men in the Red Devils. Bryan Robertson, Eric Cantona, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Paul Ince, Peter Schmeichel, Brian McClair, Dennis Irwin and Mark Hughes... all of them are famous and naturally domineering. Even players like Kanchelskis, Lee Sharpe and Giggs are full of vigor and confidence. I felt that I was too immature. I had not even reached my 22nd birthday at that time, and I was like a child in front of these people. I was very worried that my technical ability would not be able to gain a foothold in the team, so I thought my first task was to integrate into the team."

The day after Keane signed with the Red Devils, the entire Red Devils team flew to South Africa for pre-season preparations. Keane shyly asked Ferguson if he could stay at the Carrington base and train alone.

Ferguson laughed. "No, Roy, you have to travel with the whole team. I admire your awareness very much, but you still have to come with us. Don't worry about not having enough time, we have a scientific training plan that will allow you to get enough improvement. Of course you can increase your training, just like that guy Cantona, but this trip is the best opportunity for you to get to know and understand your teammates."

Keane set off with the team, and along the way he made up for his knowledge of the Red Devils' history and began to feel the charm of the Red Devils as a real giant. For the first time, Keane realized that the Red Devils were more than just a club. This team has a deep historical heritage and a volcanic power of tradition.

Keane found that the intensity and quality of the Red Devils' training were something he had never experienced before. The intensity and quantity were completely unmatched by the Forest team. He also found that the Red Devils' players were full of competition, and the five-on-five games after each training session were a real battle. The game would soon become tense, and teammates would even use rough tackles, which could even become the fuse of a war - eventually, assistant coach Kidd might have to intervene to stop the players from fighting.

Keane was very proactive, running around in training and games, actively practicing, and trying his best to improve to the level of his teammates. Keane was like a sponge, absorbing the outstanding advantages of his teammates and trying his best to improve in terms of ability and mentality. Keane felt the pressure from other players and also felt the strong competition.

Keane soon understood why the Red Devils were successful. Ferguson had outstanding coaching skills and was respected and obeyed by everyone. Brian Kidd had excellent tactical knowledge and could use humor and patience to actively coordinate and keep everyone calm and united. The team atmosphere was positive and everyone was happy and in high spirits. There was no complaining, no intrigue, and no negative energy here... Keane was very happy to join this team and hoped to follow the team to win more championships and more success.

Under Ferguson's careful guidance, Keane grew up quickly, improved his ability level, and moved step by step towards the core position of midfield. Even in the season when he just joined the team with big brothers such as Bruce, Cantona and Schmeichel, Keane also won respect with his tough style. He always adheres to the highest standards, always has the highest requirements, always devotes himself to the game, always goes all out to pursue victory, and is never polite to opponents. Keane's skills, awareness and experience have been comprehensively improved, and his ability to resist interceptions and steals has become more prominent. His tough style is feared. In this way, Keane quickly became a player with great influence both on and off the court.

Hard training, active pre-season games, and meticulous preparations allowed Keane to quickly integrate into the Red Devils team and become a main player. When the new season was about to begin, Keane started in the first game of the new season, the Charity Shield, and officially stepped onto the league stage as a Red Devils player.

In this way, the history of the Red Devils, which belongs to the great captain Keane, began to write a new page. In the torrent of time, Keane will begin to bring a new domineering color to the Red Devils.