Roy Keane wins pundit of the year award

James Cox

While Roy Keane had mixed fortunes in his managerial career, he has been a huge success in punditry with Sky Sports and ITV.

The Manchester United legend was not afraid to criticise teammates and opponents during his playing career, and he has brought that direct style into his punditry.

Keane has now been recognised as pundit of the year for 2024 by the British Sports Journalists' Association.

The Corkman has been a big hit on Sky, and has also seen success in the podcast world as he co-hosts the Overlap's 'Stick to Football' podcast alongside Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott.

In the pundit of the year contest, Keane came out on top against nine other pundits including TalkSport's Ally McCoist and Sky's Carragher.

United's struggles have been a regular topic for Keane.

However, he raised eyebrows recently when he criticised United captain Bruno Fernandes, perhaps the only player who doesn't deserve Keane's fury.

In a heated discussion with Wright on Stick to Football, Keane said: "Save us? They’re 15th in the league and he’s saving them? Praise the lord.

“You have to have a starting point. I go back to it all – talent is not enough. Bruno’s a talented player, but talent’s not enough.

Former Arsenal star Wright’s attempts to defend Fernandes further enraged Keane, who added: “You talk to me (about) who you were in a dressing room with. ‘Tony Adams was this’, ‘Tony Adams was that’. Yeah, because he was a fighter. Bruno’s not a fighter.

“You’ve got young players. You have to look at somebody and go ‘I like what he does’.

“They all can’t put the ball in the top of the net from 25 yards, I get that. But you want someone who is going ‘lads, are you with me?’”

Wright claimed that “if Bruno’s not there, United are in the relegation places” and temperatures rose as Keane returned to former Arsenal captain Adams.

When Wright said that was the skipper he was used to, Keane screamed: “Yeah, yeah, of course. That’s what the captain we expect!

“Was Tony Adams the most talented player in that Arsenal dressing room? So, why do you look up to Tony Adams and go ‘listen, I’ve got a lot of time for him’?

“And what did he do with his leadership? Leadership is action. Leadership to me is about action.”

Fernandes responded well to the criticism, and continues to put in fine performances for a struggling United side that sits 13th in the Premier League, with a Europa League victory the only prospect for salvaging something from the season.

After a man of the match display in their last-16 victory over Real Sociedad, Fernandes said: "No, everyone has an opinion and that’s fine.

“I can’t change the mind of people. Like everything I have to do is go on the pitch and try to do the best I can for the club.

“Roy Keane was an amazing captain for the club, one of the best as everyone says. I didn’t have the chance to see much from him, only the last few years, but was a great player that won everything for the club.

“He’s massively respected from everyone and has all my respect. He has to give his opinion in a programme and this is what he thinks about me.

“What I’m doing on the pitch to try to change his mind or trying to do something that he probably sees as a good thing. Obviously, I do it in my own way, I don’t want to copy anyone.

“I try to be the best captain that I can for my teammates, I try to help everyone in the best way I can and the best way I know.

“I have a lot of things to improve, not only as a captain but as a player, as a person, as a human being – and that’s fine.

“Criticism is going to be always part (of the game) and it’s going to make me grow and understand that there’s still a long way to go.”