Sunderland
manager Roy Keane wants to take Patrick Vieira to the
Stadium of Light in the New Year. Keane made his first inquiry in
the summer transfer window over the availability of his
former Arsenal rival
from their Premier League playing days but was put off by the
former France midfielder’s enormous wages.
But with new backer Ellis Short in the Sunderland boardroom,
Keane is preparing for a new move for the Inter Milan midfielder,
who was Arsenal captain during Keane's tenure as Manchester United
skipper.
Keane is ready to smash Sunderland's wage structure to land
32-year-old Vieira, who is unhappy at Inter following Jose
Mourinho’s arrival as manager at the San Siro.
The duo were arguably the greatest midfielders of all
time and had an unforgettable spat in the Highbury tunnel back in
2005. So Wearside whispers of a summer move for the now Inter Milan
ace were greeted with astonishment.
Keane smiled from ear to ear when asked to confirm his
interest and said: “Not when I found out his wages! “If I believe
this player can give us something, I’m sure the board would back
us. We’re always making enquiries about lots of players.
“How great is he? I don’t know. I don’t go down that
road. I just know he was a bloody good player. “He had good
leadership skills, too. But not as good as mine!”
Keane and Vieira clashed almost every time they met as the
figureheads of the United and Arsenal sides battling for Premier
League titles in the Nineties, but their most famous coming
together was in the tunnel at Highbury.
On Friday, Keane blamed his former United team-mate Gary Neville
for the altercation, but said he would do it all again, if only he
had the opportunity. The Sunderland manager said: ‘There is only
one person to blame for that, and that’s Gary Neville. 'He started
it and then went missing because someone had a go at him as he was
coming in from the warm up, so Gary told me.
‘I didn’t think it was right and I would do it again tomorrow.
'Gary was a team-mate and I thought it was out of order coming from
the warm-up and I had to defend my team-mate. ‘They were the
occasions against Arsenal.
'Fortunately, I missed the one at Old Trafford with the pizza
because I was sick, but they were the battles you faced. 'Whether
it be in the tunnel or at half-time, you still have to win the game
on the pitch. ‘A lot of that was blown out of all proportion by the
media but it was just the battle, the tensions between the two
teams, between the two managers and the two clubs
‘It was absolutely brilliant. 'I don’t think there is that
rivalry out there at the moment, not like there was between us and
Arsenal. ‘It was everything. The players did not particularly like
each other, the teams were very close, the managers, both teams
were fighting for titles.
‘Of course, I respected them, that’s a good word, respect. 'But,
by God, you looked forward to those games. ‘They didn’t hold back
either. Let’s not put halos on the Arsenal players, people like
Keown and Vieira. 'They would give it back and that was the good
thing about it. 'You have to give and take.’
Keane admits he feels like a novice in the Premier League
management stakes, saying: ‘You are pitting your wits against these
brilliant clubs and managers, like Martin O'Neill last week. ‘They
have vast experience and I feel like a baby, really, just starting
out.’
