2003: Roy Keane will be back

First of all, a big thanks to everybody who came along to my dinner last week in The Burlington, which was a nice way for me to end a dramatic year in football. We had a good band in – Gerard Houlier, Mark Lawrenson and John Alridge, who was suspiciously quiet about whether or not he’s going to be the next Ireland manager! I asked him a couple of times when I thought his guard was down but, no, he wasn’t saying anything.

I have to admit that all this talk of bringing a foreign coach in is starting to annoy me. Why are we looking overseas when there are so many ex-Irish players with managerial experience who could do the job?

What people don’t always realise about Aldo is that – underneath the jokes and wisecracks – there’s a highly determined man, who won’t take nonsense from anyone. Star players included! Given the situation we’re in with our European qualifying group, we need someone who can immediately win the players and fans over. John wants the job and has the ability to do that, so he has to be in the reckoning.

Which brings us to the question that I know everybody’s asking – will 2003 find Roy Keane back in an Ireland shirt? Yes, I think so.

Wouldn’t it be fabulous to see him come back into the equation and perform in the way that we all know he can? I was talking to Roy at Old Trafford after the Arsenal game and he said he was desperate to get back – not just with Man U but with Ireland as well. Obviously that depends on whoever comes in as manager, being willing to have him, and Roy knows it. But it should be a no-brainer. The bottom line is that he wants to play for Ireland and – personally – I think a manager who wouldn’t have him in the team is the wrong man for the job.

Physically and mentally, Roy’s raring to go. As much as he enjoyed the 2-0 result, you could see he was totally frustrated at not being on the pitch against Arsenal. He was acting every challenge and tackle out in his head, which confirms what I’ve said about him just wanting to play football.

The other brilliant thing about last Saturday was seeing John O’Shea run past three or four Arsenal defenders and put an inch-perfect ball into the box. It almost scares me to see how quickly he’s improving. To say that 2002 was a great year for him is an understatement.

There was more good news on Sunday when Robbie Keane and Stephen Carr both looked their old selves for Spurs. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but if Roy returns and those lads can recreate their club form, Ireland are still in with a shout of qualifying for Euro 2004.

The recent weather has reminded me of how much I hated playing in the cold! Honest to God, I used to come off the pitch thinking my feet were frostbitten. I eventually solved the problem by caking them before I went out with Vick’s and Deep Heat.

Cold feet apart, I’m very much in favour of a winter break so that players can recover from injuries they’ve been carrying and avoid having to play on ice rinks. I can understand referees not wanting to disappoint fans who’ve travelled hundreds of miles, but I’ve seen games go ahead that would never have been played in Serie A or La Liga.

It’s also tough on lads not being able to spend Christmas and New Year’s with their families. I’d normally spend Christmas morning at home unwrapping the presents, and then head with the team to a hotel somewhere. It isn’t really the way you want to operate. Come Stephen’s Day you could always tell who’d had the extra glass of wine or was running around with a tin of Quality Street in their tummy. No prizes for guessing which category I fell into, but generally we all behaved ourselves, ’cause we didn’t want to let the team down.

At Manchester United, the real misbehaviour was reserved for the fancy dress parties we had at The Ambelhurst near Sale. By the end of the night you had everybody changing clothes and generally letting their hair down.

I was a bit boring, in that I normally got myself a cane and mortarboard and went as a teacher, but Steve Bruce arrived one year in a bishop’s cape that opened up at the back to reveal suspenders and stockings. Not something that he’d want his players at Birmingham to know, I imagine!

There’s always been a special camaraderie at Old Trafford, which I experienced again recently when they offered me a regular slot on Manchester United Television. TV used to make me panic like hell, but now that I’m doing it week in, week out, I’m enjoying myself.

Which brings me to the 2002 Paul McGrath Awards! There are no prizes I’m afraid, but here’s who impressed me most during the year:

Best Player: It’s an incredibly tough call, but I’m going to choose Thierry Henry over Ruud van Nistelrooy. He’s just that little bit more of an all-rounder.

Best Young Player: I was in two minds before Saturday, but having seen him against Arsenal, John O’Shea. Technical ability aside, he’s got a cool head on his shoulders.

Best Goal: I think Mr. Rooney has that one sewn up. The way he took it, combined with the quality of the opposition, makes it really special. The only thing I didn’t like about Wayne was when he put his hands on his hips against West Bromwich Albion. He doesn’t want to be getting too cocky!

Best Manager: Don’t tell Sir Alex, but I love the way Arsene Wenger goes about his business. He’s produced a side that, on its day, is as good as any in the world.

Best Supporters: If you defeat Newcastle properly, their fans will applaud you off the pitch. I also remember that happening at Old Trafford when the Derby team I was playing in beat Man U. There are also supporters who stand out for the wrong reasons! I was racially abused playing a testimonial at Leeds, which I thought was horrendous.

Well, that’s it until 2003. Have a great Christmas and an even better New Year!