The hard-to-please ex-Red was complimentary of one Man United star. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Of all the Manchester United legends-turned-pundits doing media duties each week, Roy Keane is certainly one of the more difficult ones to please.
His notorious disdain towards Bruno Fernandes often has fans puzzled over his judgement of character, as the Portuguese talent has been United’s most impactful and invaluable player since he signed all the way back in 2020. However, Keane maintains that his criticism is more directed at Fernandes’ suitability for the captaincy as opposed to his influence on the pitch.
Nonetheless, the Irishman actually voiced some rare praise for one Red – albeit one who’s not currently plying his trade at Old Trafford – in the form of Marcus Rashford on Tuesday night.
The on-loan Carrington graduate was deployed from the off against Manchester City to make his 17th appearance for Aston Villa in all competitions and oversaw a relatively productive display at the Etihad, not least because he notched his fourth goal for the club when the visitors were awarded a controversial penalty inside 20 minutes.
Keane credits revived Rashford for City display
Rashford’s converted effort from the spot drew the tie level following Bernardo Silva’s seventh-minute opener and also proceeded to open up the game after a spell of City dominance.
In the 76 minutes he played, Rashford had 20 touches, had two shots on target and hit the woodwork once. He recorded a passing accuracy of 86 per cent and made one key pass and one accurate cross.
His efforts were ultimately rendered in vain, though. In the fourth minute of injury time, City found their breakthrough when a low, driven cross from Jeremy Doku found its way through to an unmarked Matheus Nunes at the back post, who was able to swiftly tap the ball past Emiliano Martinez and clinch all three points of the high-stakes clash.
When analysing the night’s affairs on Sky Sports post-match, Keane singled out Rashford for praise, telling the panel: “He was a threat tonight, he had a really big chance in the second half, but when there is grass in front of him he is as good as any player.
“Ask the defenders; he is a nightmare. It is almost impossible to stop.”
