We're continuing our celebration of the cinema release of Starred Up in Ireland today. Earlier in the week we looked at some of the actual father/son partnerships in sport and what the protagonists in Starred Up could learn from them. Today we're featuring some of the best metaphorical father/son relationships in football.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkAGsmwwN2o
Jose Mourinho and Michael Essien
Essien repeatedly called Mourinho his 'daddy' after the Real Madrid manager at the time signed him from his former club Chelsea.
Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy
This is a very Irish 'Fr Damo and Fr Frost' type of father/son relationship. In the early years, Roy was the sulky youngster who was prone to spats with his dad Mick McCarthy. For instance, the infamous row in Boston in 1992 when Keane showed up late for the bus. McCarthy gave him a dressing down but Keano apparently took it with a pinch of 'you're not the boss of me!'
The pair did manage to keep things from completely boiling over until 2002 when all hell broke loose. Like many of us, Keane was fed up with his Dad's way of doing things and thought he should get with the times. McCarthy didn't see what the fuss was about so Roy blew a gasket and Mick sent him to his room, or in other words, back to Manchester.
Keane then ran away from home only to finally try mend things with estranged father years later.
Roy Keane and Alex Ferguson
It is rumoured that Keane's last words to Mick McCarthy in 2002 were 'Sure you're not even my real Dad' before flying home to be with his other, not entirely real Dad, Alex Ferguson.
Fergie was the type of father who spoiled Keane with sweets and trips to Europe. He favoured him above his other sons and Keane to be fair, did him proud. He didn't go swanning off with famous girlfriends or the like when his Dad needed him to help out around the house. Yes, for years they flourished until one day Roy went and gave out about his brothers and their stinking attitude. Alex wasn't having it so Keane left home and went abroad to cool off.
Perhaps Roy thought time would heal all wounds but then his second Dad Alex, isn't as forgiving as his other father Mick.
Harry Redknapp and half his transfers
There's Peter Crouch (a few times), Jermaine Defoe (a few times), Niko Kranjcar (a few times), Jermaine Jenas, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Gary O'Neil, Svetoslav Todorov, Hayden Foxe (a few times), Shaka Hislop, Eyal Berkovic, David Unsworth, Ricardo Fuller and probably a lot more.
There's a debate as to whether he's actually that good of manager but the players certainly seem to love him anyhow.
David O'Leary's babies
Lest we ever forget...
Starred Up will be hitting Irish theatres this weekend. Check it out, it looks brilliant and the reviews have been excellent.
