Keane names Ferguson on his football Mount Rushmore despite 'bad smell' jibe months ago

Roy Keane has named Sir Alex Ferguson on his personal ‘Mount Rushmore’ of football, tempering the sharp criticism he levelled at his former manager earlier this year. The former Manchester United captain made the remarks as part of ITV’s punditry coverage of the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Asked to select the four figures who mattered most to him in the game, Keane chose Ferguson as his managerial pick — while acknowledging their well-documented falling out.

“The manager I spent most of my time with was Sir Alex Ferguson,” Keane said. “Obviously, disappointing the way he treated me at the end. But that’s life, I’m not one to hold grudges.”

Keane completed his list with Diego Maradona, Brian Clough and Jack Charlton. He cited Maradona and Brazil’s Zico as the players he idolised growing up, credited Clough with giving him the opportunity to launch a career in England, and praised Charlton for the transformative job he did with the Republic of Ireland — noting that Charlton had played in the United States at the 1994 World Cup.

The remarks carry added weight given what Keane said about Ferguson in January. Speaking after Arsenal and Liverpool drew 0-0, Keane questioned who held real authority at Old Trafford following the departure of head coach Ruben Amorim, and took aim at Ferguson’s continued presence at the club.

“Who is making the decisions at United — you have still got Ferguson and David Gill hanging around like a bad smell,” Keane said at the time. “Who is making the decisions? Ratcliffe, Wilcox? Who is going into the interview process, getting a feeler for them and saying, ‘this is the guy for us’?”

Those comments came shortly after reports emerged that Ferguson had met with United chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox. The sequence of events raised questions about the extent of the club’s break from its past under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership.

Keane’s decision to place Ferguson alongside Maradona, Clough and Charlton suggests the professional respect he holds for his former manager remains intact, even if the personal relationship has long since fractured.