Keane says ex-City players should be disgusted by club's guilty verdict on financial charges

Roy Keane has said he would feel “disgusted” if he were a Manchester City player in the wake of the club’s landmark financial verdict, urging former stars to reflect on what the findings mean for their achievements.

City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by an independent commission relating to financial rules. The club has already submitted an appeal, which will be heard at a separate hearing.

Speaking ahead of City’s trip to Anfield on Sunday, Keane was careful to separate the players from the ownership, but made clear he believed those who wore the shirt during the relevant period had reason to feel aggrieved.

“This is nothing against the players or supporters — this is an ownership issue,” Keane said. “If you’re going after the big prizes, you want to do it honestly. You want to look back at your career and think we did everything the right way.”

Keane went further, drawing on his own experience at Manchester United to illustrate the point. “If I was a player and there were stories about stuff we were doing at Manchester United, I’d be disgusted. I’d be disgusted if there were any dodgy dealings and anyone cooking the books. I wouldn’t feel like I’d earned a league title if something dodgy was going on in the background. Absolutely not.”

The former United captain acknowledged that City’s players performed to the highest level on the pitch, but argued that the squad’s depth — itself a product of the club’s spending — gave them a structural advantage over rivals.

“I hear a lot of ex-players saying that Man City players gave it their all — we know that. That’s not the issue. But they had unbelievable players on the bench to come on and make them stronger and get them over the line against teams like Liverpool. That’s what top-level football is about. You hope there is honesty.”

Keane also addressed the praise that had been heaped on City and manager Pep Guardiola over the club’s dominant period in English football. “We’ve been sitting here praising Man City and saying they’re amazing, bringing in amazing players, and Pep turning really good players into superstars. But the way they were doing it — that’s the issue.”

City’s appeal means the matter is far from resolved, and the legal complexity of the case has drawn comment from across the game. Keane acknowledged the difficulty of non-lawyers weighing in, but said the principle was straightforward. “We’re footballing people. It’s difficult for us to talk about legal stuff, but you’ve got to have a bit of honesty.”