#5 Roy Keane
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Another Manchester United legend, Roy Keane was an irreplaceable figure in the midfield for Sir Alex Ferguson. His aggressive and competitive style of play made him highly effective as he served as captain from 1997 to 2005. While many now remember him for his difficult nature, he helped United sustain a long period of success in his 12-year tenure. While his victories have been many, it’s hard to believe that this same man was turned down by many youth academies in Ireland and England.
As he grew older, the best he could do was a semi-professional club called the Cobh Ramblers. He moved to Nottingham Forest as a 19-year-old in 1990 and stayed there for three years before he made his big move to Manchester United in 1993. He made his way into the first team when a series of injuries kept Bryan Robson sidelined for much of 1993 and won his first double in 1993-94.
Keane also saw his side pass through a great transition when the likes of Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis left to be replaced by the Class of ‘92. The Irish international finally departed Ferguson’s side in 2005 but not before he had won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year five times.
However, before Keane reached such heights of greatness, he overcame the huge stumbling block of being relegated. In his final year with Nottingham in 1992-93, the club was demoted but not before Ferguson rescued him with a contract offer. After all, he had been named in the PFA Team of the Year in spite of his side’s horrendous performance.
