Roy Keane is set to take to the Anfield turf for the first time since his infamous final appearance for Manchester United in September 2005, as Manchester United legends travel to Merseyside this afternoon.
The Red Devils' former captain was announced as a late inclusion to the Manchester United squad that would be travelling to Anfield to take part in the second game in the Legends of the North series. The two sides locked horns at Old Trafford back in May, with the Reds running out 3-1 victors, on an afternoon which raised an incredible £1.3m for the Manchester United foundation.
In the weeks building up to the fixture both United and Liverpool have slowly drip-fed star-studded names to their supporters; with Liverpool boasting Champions League winners such as Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia, Mohamed Sissoko and Florent Sinama Pongolle. While their counterparts have named a squad including a plethora of Premier League winners such as Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov.
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Despite the incredible list of names set to take to the Anfield pitch on Saturday afternoon, it's the inclusion of the former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland captain, Keane, that will no doubt steal the headlines.
Keane, of course, famously left Manchester United in November 2005 by mutual consent after 13 years at Old Trafford. The midfielder's final competitive outing for the Red Devils came earlier in the 2005/06 season when his side travelled to Anfield in a Premier League clash and subsequently sustained a metatarsal injury - which had supposedly been caused by Peter Crouch's blades, to the dismay of Alex Ferguson.
Despite a hefty challenge from Luis Garcia still being cited as the reason Keane was forced to leave the field before the final whistle, it was the dangerous studs of Crouch that prematurely ended Keane's United career, according to his manager.
"It's something we feel very strongly about," said Ferguson at the time. "We banned blades a year ago, as most clubs have, and we have got pictures around the training ground of the serious injuries they can cause.
"Yet Roy's X-ray clearly shows the impression of a blade where the injury is."
Despite Keane being expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season when his contract expired, the midfielder's two months on the sidelines during those autumn months would escalate his leaving process as his comments in an infamous unaired interview with MUTV led to a complete breakdown in communication between Ferguson and his captain. The midfielder subsequently had his contract terminated by mutual consent on November 18, 2005.
Despite turning out his testimonial at Old Trafford the following May, Keane has not pulled on the Manchester United shirt since that infamous day at Anfield during the early stages of the 2005/06 season, where the explosive events off the field made up for the drab goalless affair on offer for those in attendance.
United's manager for this afternoon's clash, Andy Ritchie, has opted to leave Keane on the bench, but the former captain will no doubt be treated to hostile reception when he makes his United return during the fixture.
Meanwhile, for Liverpool, the Istanbul heroes Garcia, Alonso and Jerzey Dudek all start.
Liverpool starting XI: Dudek, Kvarme, Henchoz, Skrtel, Vignal, Sissoko, Downing, Alonso, Maxi, Le Tallec, Voronin.
Subs: Westerveld, Diao, Aurelio, Traore, Gonzalez, Riera, Johnson, Keane, Sinama-Pongolle, Garcia.
Man Utd starting XI: Van der Gouw, Johnsen, Stam, Berbatov, Campbell, Pugh, Porborsky, Carrick, Fletcher, Valencia, Gibson.
Subs: Pilkington, Irwin, Blackmore, Brown, Keane, Djemba-Djemba.
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