Keane Named King Of Football's Hardmen
Manchester United captain Roy Keane has been voted the hardest football player ever.The Irish star beat Chelsea's legendary defender Ron 'Chopper" Harris - famed for his brutal tackles - into second place and Vinnie Jones into third.Around 2,500 football fans were polled by alcopop WKD and asked to come up with the game's toughest player of all time.
Keane has gained a fearsome reputation for his no-nonsense style on the pitch.
He also gained notoriety for a verbal assault on former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy which saw the player walk out of the squad before the 2002 World Cup.
Keane - who has been involved in famous spats with former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira and Newcastle's Alan Shearer - was condemned for comments in his autobiography.
He deliberately went in on Manchester City's Alf Inge Haaland with a particularly vicious tackle in 2001 and wrote in his book: "I'd waited long enough. I hit him hard. The ball was there (I think)."
It followed a previous match when Keane was injured and Haaland accused him of play acting.
Haaland struggled to recover from a knee injury sustained in the tackle and played his last game in 2002 before being forced into retirement.
"Keane was the clear winner but the rest were all pretty tough. Anyone with the name Chopper has to be a contender." said WKD spokesman Tarquin Chopper.
Ok, I changed the last line a bit
Roy Keane - King of hardmen!
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