Roy Keane names Sir Alex Ferguson in his 'Mount Rushmore' of football despite end-of-career bitterness

Roy Keane has named Sir Alex Ferguson in his personal ‘Mount Rushmore’ of football during his role as a pundit at the 2026 World Cup, acknowledging a lingering sense of hurt over how their relationship ended while insisting he holds no grudge.

Keane, part of ITV’s punditry team for the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, was challenged to name the four individuals most significant to him in the sport. Ferguson was the first he named.

“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.”

Alongside Ferguson, Keane selected Diego Maradona, citing a childhood love of watching Brazil and the Argentine icon in particular. “I loved watching Brazil and Maradona, particularly Zico and Maradona,” he said. “I’ll go with Maradona.”

His remaining two choices carried a distinctly Irish flavour. Brian Clough earned his place for giving Keane the opportunity to move to England and launch his professional career, while Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton was recognised for the impact he had on Keane’s formative years in the game.

“A big influence on me would have been Jack Charlton,” Keane said. “The job that he did with Ireland, and he played in 1994 here [in the United States]. I was a bit young to maybe appreciate Jack’s messages, but I’d put him in there.”

The comments about Ferguson arrive in a charged period for Manchester United. Keane had recently questioned the club’s decision-making structure in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s departure as head coach, with reports indicating Ferguson had held talks with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.

Speaking after Arsenal and Liverpool drew 0-0 in January, Keane was pointed in his criticism. “Who is making the decisions at United, you have still got Ferguson and David Gill hanging around like a bad smell,” he said. “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’.”

Despite that public frustration, Keane’s World Cup comments suggest his respect for Ferguson’s broader influence on his career remains intact — even if the manner of their parting still stings.