Roy Keane is regarded as one of the greatest players in Premier League history. The former Irish midfielder played for Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Celtic. During his 17-year playing career, he won 19 major trophies, with 17 of these coming for the Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Keane won seven league titles at United, along with the UEFA Champions League in 1999 in the club’s treble-winning season. In 2021, he was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame for captaining the most dominant side in England in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The Cork-born warrior came up against and played alongside some of the best players of all-time during his career. In a Monday Night Football (MNF) appearance in 2022, he was asked to name the three greatest players in football history, and here is what he said.
Keane Named 3 Greatest Players
Former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo made the cut
Keane played in high-profile Champions League matches during his career and was the leading figure in United’s semi-final comeback against Juventus in 1999. Zinedine Zidane was in the Italian team’s lineup that night, playing just behind the striker Filippo Inzaghi. During his MNF appearance a few years ago, Keane included the French midfielder in his three best players in football history. He said:
“Zidane for me, has to be up there. I thought he was amazing. I was lucky enough to play against him, brilliant player. Nasty, scored a goal, won the big prizes. Hard to beat that.”
Zidane played for Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid during his 17-year playing career. He was the runner-up on two occasions for the Italian giants, in 1997 and 1998, but managed to get his hands on the trophy in 2002 – scoring the winner in the final against Bayer Leverkusen.
The other two players included in Keane’s top three were Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Maradona. Keane played with the former at United for three years. The Portuguese winger joined the Red Devils in 2003 from Sporting CP. It took a couple of seasons for Ronaldo to establish himself as one of the most important figures at Old Trafford, but when he did, he transformed into one of the best players in the world.
Maradona was the final player to be included in Keane’s top three. The Argentinian legend is still renowned as one of the greatest football players of all time, winning the World Cup for his country in 1986, along with the Scudetto with Napoli in 1987 and 1990. Speaking about the two, Keane said: “Maradona would have to be up there and Ronaldo.”
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – correct as of 05/01/25.
