Teddy Sheringham has explained to OTB Sports how Roy Keane developed as a player from his days at Nottingham Forest to Manchester United.
Teammates for one full season at Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough, Teddy Sheringham found in the 20-year-old Roy Keane a midfielder who suited his attacking game perfectly.
Signed for £2 million from Millwall in the summer of 1991, Sheringham remembered encountering the young Cork native making his way in the game.
"His engine was ridiculous," Sheringham told OTB Sports at our UEFA Champions League Final preview show in association with Pepsi Max.
"He just seemed to want to run all day and people couldn't compete with him. That's why Manchester United bought him for big money."
Nottingham Forest's Teddy Sheringham celebrates with Roy Keane and Des Walker - PA ImagesFor the 25-year-old Sheringham, Keane was the exact sort of player that he wanted behind him.
"The way I played," he explained, "I came off centre-halves, controlled balls and I needed midfield players who were going to run past me to leave a question mark for the centre-half.
"Keaney was fantastic like that. He had such an engine that every time the ball came up to me he would be running past me getting on to flick-ons.
"As soon as the ball went back then he would be tracking back and making tackles, then it would come back to me and he would be running past me again.
"It was unbelievable, he had a massive engine."
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After playing one season together at Forest, Sheringham was surprisingly sold on by Clough for a fraction more than they had paid for him only a season earlier.
At Spurs, the English striker averaged a goal every other game across the next five seasons and would eventually earn his move to Manchester United where he and Keane would meet again.
Roy Keane, Manchester United - PA Images"He was a completely different player," recalled Sheringham of the 26-year-old Manchester United captain he encountered in 1997.
"I don't know whether the manager had spoken to him or whether certain injuries had slowed him down a little bit, but he was more about controlling the ball in central midfield.
"He still had a very good engine, not like it was in the Forest days, but he was a more rounded and complete player by the time I came to United."
From his recollections of the young Irish midfielder at Forest, Sheringham was also struck by how Roy Keane had developed in terms of his approach to leadership.
"No, I wouldn't say he was a leader [at Forest]," he explained, "not at all.
"He was a leader in his manner and in taking the game to the opposition, but we had leaders in Stuart Pearce, Des Walker and Nigel Clough - they were our leaders.
"Keaney was just having fun then I think because he was still a young man, still enjoying himself playing football and going out for a few drinks."
Teddy Sheringham was speaking to our exclusive OTB Sports UEFA Champions League Final Preview show in association with Pepsi Max, who are Proud Sponsors of The UEFA Champions League. Pepsi Max – Maximum Taste. No Sugar #ForTheLoveOfIt
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