Gerrard said
"Erm, Keano is the toughest
player I've ever faced in the Premiership. In our 3-1 win at
Anfield a few years ago, he actually took a bite outta me leg. So,
you know, straight away I thought of him for the job, like.
"Erm, he wasn't enjoying it at Ipswich, having to be nice to the
press and everything. I think he was glad to get out of it to be
honest. This is a job he can really sink his teeth into, and he'll
be free to do what he does best, which is take chunks out of
people. This time though, he won't get a red card for doing
it".
Keane's former boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, was supportive of Keane's
decision:
"Och, it's the best thing for the
boy. Ye cannae deny he's got all the attributes for the job. Roy's
too wild for management; he really needs a job where he can truly
express his natural animal instincts. I think he'll do
well".