25 December 2023 , 07:30
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Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, brought a touch of holiday magic to his hometown in Cork, Ireland, over 20 years ago.
Keane was famed for being tough on the field and now, as a football pundit. But away from the game, it's been revealed that there is a completely different side to the Premier League legend.
One particularly heartwarming tale was revealed by an Irish doctor back in 2021. The brilliant act occurred when Keane was in his prime, playing for the Red Devils and leading them to their third consecutive Premier League title - his sixth with the club. As captain of one of the greatest teams in English football under Sir Alex Ferguson's management, Keane was arguably the most important player in the Premier League at that time.
During the Christmas period, many clubs send their star players to hospitals and events to spread some festive cheer among those less fortunate. Yet, it was Keane who decided to personally cheer up unwell kids spending their Christmas in a children's ward.
In 2021, Dr. Niamh Ni Loinsigh uploaded a clip on social media, and reminisced about Keane's hospital visit two decades ago.
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“I have debated long and hard about putting this video on this platform, but you know what? People need to hear something nice,” she wrote as a caption. “I give you my tale of Roy Keane and the Christmas Miracle. Roy rules.”
Before getting her story started, the Irish doctor issued a “trigger warning” as she was discussing childhood illness, before jokingly adding that Keane may also be a “trigger” for some people. Following those warnings, she then revealed how Keane helped to “facilitate” a Christmas miracle for one ill child.
Roy Keane lifts the Premier League trophy alongside Sir Alex Ferguson during his Man Utd peak“Most of you know that Roy Keane is a hero in Cork. The closest thing that I’ve witnessed to a Christmas miracle was facilitated I think by Roy Keane,” Dr Ni Loinsigh said. “This was 20 years ago and we were looking after a patient who was very, very unwell. It came to a point where we weren’t really sure if they were going to make it.
"Unannounced and without any fanfare Roy Keane came to visit the children's ward. And he gave that child the boost and the energy that they needed to just keep going a little bit more.
"On Christmas Eve, the professor of paediatrics rang me in tears and I feared the worst, but no, he said that this child was completely better and was going home, so thanks Roy."
The video led to an outpouring of gratitude towards Keane, with a fellow hospital worker at the time revealing the effect Keane had on the children.
Dr Ni Loinsigh confessed that she never got the chance to meet Keane, and expressed her nerves about how the football legend might react to her story being shared.
"I never got to meet him!!! He was so stealthy. Just heard all the excited stories from the kids." She added: "I hope Roy Keane knows the huge impact he has had on so many lives. I'm sure this is just one example. I'm a bit nervous now, because if Roy Keane finds out about it he'll probably be annoyed."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]