Roy Keane paid tribute to the late Diego Maradona with a story of watching the Argentine in training.
Keane was with the Republic of Ireland squad prior to USA '94 when he had the pleasure of watching Diego at close quarters.
On Thursday Maradona died of a heart attack at his home in Tigre, Argentina. His coffin was lying in state at the Presidential Palace, the Casa Rosada, with mourners filing past it in tribute.
Roy Keane on Maradona
"Fantastic, what a player. It was more the 1982 World Cup where I fell in love with the game," Keane told Sky Sports.
"Particularly, Maradona and - as a young kid watching Italian football - watching him at Napoli.
"I never got to see him playing but I got to see him training in Seville when we were playing a qualifier with the Republic of Ireland for the '94 World Cup."
🗣"Jack Charlton was going mad saying get on the bus, we went no we are watching Maradona"
Roy Keane with his memories of the late Diego Maradona pic.twitter.com/OPhqalPiJ6— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 29, 2020
Maradona was in Spain then, after leaving Napoli and before returning to Argentina to see out his career.
"He was at Seville at the time and we used their training facilities. We just watched him training one afternoon, the senior players.
"I remember Jack Charlton was going mad, saying 'go on, get on the bus!' and we were saying 'nah, nah, we're watching Maradona!
"He was only training, he was doing free kicks. A brilliant, brilliant player - world class.
"Even with all his flaws, that was part of the attraction for me as well. I thought he was an absolute genius and just great memories watching him."
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