Manchester United icon Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has recalled the one time he ‘lost it’ with former teammate Roy Keane.
The mild-mannered Norwegian spent 11 trophy-laden years at Old Trafford as a player before a three-year stint as United boss in 2018.
Much of his playing days were spent alongside fearsome ex-United captain Keane as the pair helped fire United to multiple Premier League titles and the unforgettable Champions League triumph in 1999.
Solskjaer admits to enjoying a good relationship with the Irishman, but revealed he nearly came to blows with him during a fiery exchange in a clash against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, he said: “It’s been good [his relationship with Keane] – it’s been decent.
“He always moaned and shouted at me and that’s how I knew he cared, and he felt that I could help the team.
“I’m not sure if Roy knows this, Tottenham away, White Hart Lane – we’re counter-attacking – and I made a bad decision of not passing to Roy just before half-time.
“And he was giving me everything – absolutely all sorts of insults and at half-time – Roy was about 15, 20 yards ahead of me, and I lost it.
“I was going to have you, [ex-United assistant] Carlos [Queiroz] stopped me saying, ‘It’s not worth it Ole’ – I’d be dead!”
Responding to Solskjaer’s revelation, Keane simply stated: “The good days together.”
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Despite the incident, the pair have a great mutual respect for each other after nine years sharing the dressing room at the Theatre of Dreams.
Keane regularly gave his backing to the Norwegian when faced with heavy criticism during his spell in charge of United.
The pair’s loyalty was cemented in 2005 during Keane’s final days at the club when Solskjaer stood up for his teammate following an explosive fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Keane was stripped of the captaincy prior to his subsequent move to Celtic with Keane fighting back against his former boss in a tem meeting.
With Ferguson continuing to rage despite his former captain having left the room, Solskjaer along with Paul Scholes, defied orders and left the room in solidarity with Keane.
“I think I respected him before that,” Keane told The Times in 2021. “I don’t think he and Scholesy went up another level after that.
“I’d really forgotten about them walking out of the meeting until now.
“My loyalty to Ole, or Scholesy, or Nicky Butt, or Giggsy or Nev [Gary Neville] is not down to one incident, but to what we did together over a number of years.”