Keane challenged to £1m fight by ex-Liverpool star as Hearn asked to promote

20 November 2023 , 14:19

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Keane challenged to £1m fight by ex-Liverpool star as Hearn asked to promote

Jason McAteer wants to settle his bitter feud with Roy Keane - in the boxing ring!

For more than two decades, the ex-Republic of Ireland team-mates have been at odds with each other following a Premier League clash between Manchester United and Sunderland. Keane was sent off late on for aiming an elbow at McAteer, the culmination of a series of clashes between the pair during the 90 minutes.

McAteer had been part of the 2002 World Cup squad that Keane famously walked out of following a bust-up with manager Mick McCarthy. His subsequent autobiography was scathingly critical of the Irish set-up, and minutes before the sending off the ex-Liverpool man had mocked Keane by motioning to scribble with his hands.

Keane opted to reignite their feud on an episode of The Overlap this month, telling podcast host Gary Neville that McAteer "deserved it." Adding that his rival "had plenty to say for himself," he also dismissed the notion that the two had ever been friends.

McAteer responded by labelling Keane a "clown" on social media. While working for beIN Sports for Ireland's 1-0 defeat in Holland on Saturday, he then pitched a bizarre idea.

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Initially claiming he was tired of the feud, McAteer then changed tact: "I'd rather him come in here now and we just go 'let's let bygones be bygones' Let's just be civil.

Roy Keane was sent off after a clash with Jason McAteer back in 2002 (Getty Images)

HAVE YOUR SAY! Would win - Roy Keane or Jason McAteer? Comment below.

"Or, we could get in the ring for a million pounds each and fight it out. Eddie (Hearn), if you're watching, Eddie Hearn, get him on the phone. But Roy, come on, be better than that. And I promise I'll stop reacting."

Cynics might argue that in an era where YouTubers are involved in professional boxing bouts, Keane and McAteer going at it wouldn't necessarily be all that farcical. But given his famed aggression on the field, Keane would no doubt be the bookies' favourite.

Keane was sent off 13 times in his career, with seven of those red cards coming in the Premier League. Only Duncan Ferguson, Richard Dunne and Patrick Vieira, with eight, had more.

Fraser Watson