It seems like Louis van Gaal’s favourite name is ‘Mike’. Although we don’t expect him to find another player called Mike by shouting his name in a coffee shop (a la Joey Tribbiani in Friends), he seems to like that name a lot and recently christened Will Keane as Mike Keane in a press conference.
Now Will Keane has a twin brother named Michael Keane who was at the Old Traffod club when Van Gaal arrived. But he left last year and moved to Burnley. However, he must have made an impression on the Dutch boss as he mentioned his name.
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At the press conference, Van Gaal said: “Now Michael Keane has to do it by himself.”
At this point, Manchester United’s press officer leaned in and corrected the 64-year-old boss and told him it was Will Keane.
Van Gaal corrected himself and continued, “Or Will Keane! Michael is an easy name for me,” he said, eliciting laughter from the journalists assembled.
He had recently called Chris Smalling ‘Mike’ at a press conference in pre-season. The name has since stuck with the fans who prefer to use that moniker to refer to the English defender.
The Red Devils gaffer then laughed at yet another similar mistake and then explained: “I said to Mike Smalling that I call him ‘Pele’ because he had a fantastic move so it is easier to call him Pele now!”
We’re not quite sure what United’s own White Pele, a certain Wayne Rooney, has to say about that.
