Roy Keane’s long-cherished dream of ending his career in the famous green and white hoops of Celtic was realised on Thursday when the former Manchester United skipper signed for the Scottish club.
Keane (34), who parted company with United last month, has signed an 18-month deal and could make his debut for the Scottish Premier League leaders when they face title rivals Hearts at Tynecastle on January 1.
The Irish midfielder had attracted interest from half the clubs in the Premiership and firm offers from Everton and Bolton.
But he had made it clear he would prefer not to join another Premiership club and have to return to Old Trafford as an opponent of the club he served with distinction for 12 years.
When Real Madrid’s interest cooled earlier this week, that left the way clear for Celtic, who are reported to have put together a salary package worth about £45 000, half what he earned at Manchester United.
It is believed that a portion of Keane’s salary will be paid directly by Celtic’s major shareholder, Dermot Desmond.
Keane hardly needs the money. He is already a multimillionaire and, under the terms of his departure from United, will continue to be paid by them until the end of this season, when his final contract was due to expire.
Instead, he has opted for the chance to play in front of one of the most passionate sets of fans in world football for a club whose fortunes he has followed since he was a boy.
Keane’s time at Manchester United came to an acrimonious end last month after a falling-out with Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson over an outburst in which the club captain savaged the performance of five of his teammates in a defeat at Middlesbrough.
Although Celtic had always been his favoured destination, a deal had appeared unlikely because of the wages issue. John Hartson, the top earner at Parkhead before Keane’s arrival, is on a reported £30 000 a week.
There has also been speculation that Celtic boss Gordon Strachan would not relish the prospect of having his former United teammate in the dressing room given the propensity for blunt speaking that ended Keane’s United career.
Some Celtic fans voiced misgivings as to whether the club ought to be investing so heavily in an injury-prone 34-year-old who plays a very similar role on the pitch to that of their current captain, Neil Lennon.
But former Hoops skipper Paul McStay insisted everyone at Parkhead would welcome Keane’s arrival, including Lennon.
”Any squad needs strengthening, especially if they are looking forward to Europe next year where Roy’s Champions League experience will be very beneficial,” said McStay.
”They have great players there at the moment, such as Neil Lennon and Stilian Petrov, but you need a strong squad to compete in Europe. I think Neil will welcome it. Good players want to play beside good players.”
The former Scotland midfielder added: ”Roy has a reputation for being a fiery character, but any dressing room needs that as well.
”It drives the team forward with someone there with that kind of influence. With the nature Roy has, that can benefit the dressing room, but you hope he can encourage the young players too.” — Sapa-AFP