Roy Keane has opened up about the cultural surprise he experienced in his notorious move from Manchester United to Celtic.
The legendary Irish midfielder grew up as a Hoops fan and fulfilled his dream by signing for the Parkhead giants before the January 2006 transfer window.
No Celtic fan living at the time would make their debut against Clyde in the Scottish Cup, as Keane made just 10 appearances before hanging up his boots for Smart this summer.
Keane had been on record recently admitting he “embarrassed” himself whilst with the Hoops and now, he has delved into his failed Celtic stint again on Gary Neville’s Stick to Football podcast.
This time, Roy Keane spoke about the big differences between the comforts of Manchester United and Celtic back then.
The 52-year-old now recognises that Celtic’s amenities at Lennoxtown for players are much greater now than when he was at the club, but took the time to illustrate what a replacement meant for him.
Ian Wright first spoke about his departure from Arsenal in 1998, before Keane weighed in with his own anecdote.
Keane said: “You talk about the shock, I don’t forget when I went to Celtic – it’s this iconic and incredible club. But I’m leaving United and the stadium (Celtic Park) is incredible, although I hadn’t realised the educational field.
“I’m going to go back a few years, now they have a smart one, but I’m in the Celtic dressing room and they go to the dressing room to replace, and I’m at United; however, you replace at Celtic Park and drive up to the education floor in your boots and gear.
“Three or four of us would drive in the car and it would rain there, practice and then we’d all get back in the car and back. All of a sudden, you think, “This is different. “
“But despite my comfort at United, I enjoyed being in another dressing room. The Celtic guys, there were one or two idiots, but overall, they were all wonderful guys. I enjoyed my time at Celtic in terms of another dressing room.
Barrowfield was where Celtic’s stars from beyond trained on a daily basis. And Keane will be right in his assessment because just a year after leaving the Hoops, Barrowfield would leave because the club needed a little more advanced facilities.
Moving to Lennoxtown was the right decision at the time, but Barrowfield still have a Celtic future. The club announced in 2023 that the site would be renovated and provide the central hub for the women’s team, as well as the boys’ and girls’ academies.
Perhaps Keane will return once the renovation paintings are complete and enjoy a more enchanting wonder at Barrowfield than the one he had in 2006.