Roy Keane's Secret Goalkeeping Stint Exposed as Sunderland Confirm Bizarre Story

Legendary former Sunderland boss and Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has been a household name in English football for decades, but few know of his unexpected foray into goalkeeping. According to Keane himself and corroborated by Sunderland FC, the Irishman took on the role of goalkeeper during a pre-season training camp in Algarve, Portugal, where he made £800-£900 by saving a series of free kicks from his players. The players who scored would receive £1,000 each, while those who missed would give Keane £100.

Key Takeaways:

• Roy Keane made £800-£900 by saving free kicks from his players during a pre-season training camp in Algarve, Portugal.
• The players who scored against Keane would receive £1,000 each, while those who missed would give him £100.
• Keane's move into goalkeeping was a result of a free kick being scored against Craig Gordon, the first-choice goalkeeper at the time.
• Eight or nine players took on Keane, trying to beat him from 20 yards out, and none of them succeeded.
• The next day, Keane demanded that his players pay up the winnings, but they were slow in doing so, leading to a lighthearted disagreement.
• Sunderland FC has confirmed the story, sharing a photo of Keane diving to save an effort on goal during the training session.

Statistics:

• £800-£900: The amount Roy Keane made by saving free kicks from his players.
• £1,000: The amount each player would have received if they scored against Keane.
• £100: The amount each player would have given Keane if they missed.
• 8-9: The number of players who took on Keane during the free kick challenge.
• €: The location of the pre-season training camp where the incident took place (Algarve, Portugal).

Sources:

• "Imagine Roy as the keeper!" - The Overlap podcast, shared on July 2022.
• "You don't need to imagine anymore!" - Sunderland FC, shared on October 2023.
• "All down to him" - Nicky Summerbee, Sunderland player, shared on October 2023.