IRISH football legend Roy Keane has given a rare glimpse into his life, speaking at length with comedian Tommy Tiernan about his career, the aftermath of leaving Manchester United and his family.
A notoriously private person, the Cork native spoke about the "only time" he cried during his footballing career as well as his disastrous first date with his wife of 25 years.
Appearing on The Tommy Tiernan Show on RTÉ One on Saturday night, Keane (51) also described how he did not miss football when he stopped playing and that he was glad he was not a player who clung to the past.
"A lot of ex-players do sit around saying 'poor me' but you have to get off your backside and do something," he said.
"Whether it's coaching badges, TV work, you have to do something."
Revealing the only time be broke down in tears during his playing career, the former midfielder said it was following his departure from Manchester United in 2005 after a falling out with manager Alex Ferguson and several teammates.
"I think the only time I really cried was when I left United after I had a bit of a disagreement with a few people," he said.
"But other than that you’re very much in that bubble, you’re in the zone. I always say I was in the zone.
"I used to always say to people, and they didn’t quite understand it, I was going to war every week."
The former Republic of Ireland captain also recalled his first date with his wife, Theresa, telling how it had went "very badly" and ended after 15 minutes with her slamming the car door.
After meeting in a club in Nottingham, he said they went out on a date: "We met, I picked her up, and I'd met her (before) when I had a few drinks so the chat was slightly different.
"We went for a spin and I said, 'Do you fancy going to the pictures?' Because at least at the pictures you can just watch the movie, you don't have to chat too much.
"And she said 'No, I went last night with my friends'.
"So I said, 'Do you want to go for a drink?' She said 'No'.
"I literally drove back to the car, this is all within 10 or 15 minutes. She said, 'What are you doing?'
"I said, 'Well, you don't want to go for a drink, you don't want to go to the pictures, what else can we do?'
"She got out [of the car] and I said, 'Might see you next week' and she said 'I don't think so' and slammed the door. That was my first date."
But he added: "And we're still married".
The couple wed in his native town of Mayfield, Co Cork in 1997 and they have five children together, Shannon, Caragh, Aidan, Leah and Alanna.
