Former Celtic and Sunderland star Ross Wallace explains what it was like to play under Manchester United legend Roy Keane.
Wallace and Keane were originally teammates at Celtic, before the Irishman made the leap into management almost straight after retiring from professional football.
The ex United captain was appointed as manager of Sunderland and signed Wallace to help him gain promotion from the Premier League.
Speaking on the latest episode of the the Under The Cosh Podcast, Wallace explains how Keane struggled in certain areas of management.
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“When he [Keane] was at Sunderland, I think because he came straight out of playing, you’ve still got that personality of a player, you know what I mean? I think he just never overcame that.
“All the lads would [say] just relax a little bit. The standards that he was expecting, we weren’t in Man United, were we?
“We had good players for the Championship, and when we went to Premier League, we had decent players, but we weren’t in Man United.
“I just think his expectation of the players, I just thought, just give the players just a little bit of leeway.”
The ex Sunderland star made it clear that it wasn't all dressing downs, hair dryer moments and kicking tables, and that there was a funny side to Keane as well.
Wallace revealed that Tony Loughlan, who was a first-team coach under Keane at Sunderland, played a hilarious prank on him after he signed from Celtic.
“I’d already signed, so it was me and Stan Varga, we went and met [him], Roy was staying in the Ramside [Hotel in Durham], but I think he had, like, a farmhouse right at the back of it.
“We’re up the country roads trying to find it, my friend finally found it, and obviously, this was like Roy’s manor.
“So he’s got me and my agent – and obviously Roy and Tony Loughlan – and Lougho, the first team coach, he’s got three chairs.
“My agent sat down, there’s Roy, and Tony’s like, ‘Sorry Ross, I’ll get you a chair.’ [He] goes through to the kitchen and brings through a highchair.
“Just pure straight face, [he] carries it through, [and] he just lifts me in it. He picks me up and puts me in it!
“But just to break the ice, you know what I mean? That was quite funny. I was like, ‘You’ve done me there.’”
Keane did guide Sunderland to promotion and kept them in the Premier League the following season, however he did endure less successful times at Ipswich and Nottingham Forest.
