Roy Keane singles out the Man Utd star who should've had better career by name

08 February 2024 , 02:00

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Roy Keane believes that Lee Sharpe could have achieved more in his career (Image: Stick to Football Podcast)

Roy Keane believes that former Manchester United ace Lee Sharpe could have had an even better career if he put in more work.

The Irishman played with Sharpe at Old Trafford from 1993 until 1996, with the winger collecting 265 appearances and seven trophies with the club. The duo combined for a memorable goal versus Barcelona where he backheeled a cross from Keane into the net during the 1994/95 Champions League.

Sharpe earned his first England call-up by the age of 19 as he became United's first choice winger but injury and illness saw him displaced as a first choice option on the left side by Ryan Giggs. Chances at left-back and on the right diminished thanks to Dennis Irwin and David Beckham, while Sir Alex Ferguson was often on the midfielder's case.

Eventually Sharpe departed United for Leeds in a £4.5million move where injury hampered him again. Loans to Sampdoria and Bradford followed before Sharpe completed a permanent move to the Bantams and saw out his career with spells at Everton, Grindavik and Garforth Town.

Keane suggested that Sharpe perhaps did not have the required 'hunger' to achieve more during his career. The former Sunderland and Ipswich boss said on the Stick to Football podcast: "Lee Sharpe was quite laid back, but he was a good guy.

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"Maybe he would be the first to admit that he had little success in his career but could have done more if he tried harder. I think he would be honest enough to say that because he was so laid back and had the manager on his case all the time.

"But then he went up to Leeds and got a bad injury, but I think overall, I think Sharpie would admit that he could have done more in his career, but he didn’t have that real hunger and desire to maintain a high standard over a long period of time.”

Lee Sharpe joined Man Utd as a teenager in 1988 (Getty Images)

‌Keane suggested that Sharpe did not respond well to Ferguson's 'tough love' towards the end of his time in the north west.‌ He suggested that his former teammate noted he had stopped listening.

The 52-year-old pundit explained: "“With managers giving players tough love, I remember seeing an interview recently with Lee Sharpe, and he really loved his football and off the field he had fun as well, especially with his dancing, but he said towards the end of his time at Manchester United, when Sir Alex Ferguson was having a go at him, he said that he just stopped listening.”

Scott Trotter