Alan Shearer has quipped that Roy Keane 'ran away' in the tunnel after the the pair 'tried to get at each other' more than 20 years ago.
Newcastle United were 4-3 up against Manchester United at St James' Park back in 2001 when Shearer prevented Keane taking a quick throw-in in the dying moments and the frustrated Irishman threw the ball at the number nine. Shearer roared to alert referee Steve Bennett, who made his way over to give Keane a yellow card, before both captains had a heated exchange and squared up to each other.
That was the cue for Keane to push Shearer and actually knock the yellow card out of the referee's hand. David Beckham then stepped in to lead his team-mate away, but the damage had been done and Keane was sent off.
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That decision only made Keane angrier and the midfielder sprinted over to confront Shearer once again before being restrained by Beckham and walking off the pitch. Keane was not in the away dressing room for long, however and the Manchester United skipper and Shearer soon had to be separated by their team-mates in the tunnel after the game.
When asked if he would have fancied his chances against the former amateur boxer, Shearer was in no doubt all these years later.
"Oh, absolutely," he told the BBC. "I was waiting for him in the tunnel. He ran away! We tried to get at each other in the tunnel. They held us back in the tunnel so it was all right."
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