Gabriel Agbonlahor has reignited his long-running feud with Roy Keane, claiming the former Manchester United captain left Aston Villa because he could not bully the players. Agbonlahor, 39, was a senior figure in the Villa squad when Keane joined Paul Lambert's coaching staff in 2014.
Speaking on the podcast In The Mixer, Agbonlahor recalled a training session where the standard of crossing and shooting drills was poor. When Lambert pulled the session short, Agbonlahor said players were getting cold because they only took one shot every ten minutes. Keane sarcastically asked if they needed a warm-up, to which Agbonlahor replied: 'Roy, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the manager.'
Agbonlahor said Keane gave him 'angry eyes' and the next day Keane left the club. 'He left Villa because I think he probably thought, 'These players are going to make me do something I regret',' Agbonlahor said. 'He was gone but for me it was more like, 'You're not going to bully me.''
Keane departed his Villa role in November 2014 after just five months, initially citing a desire to focus on his Republic of Ireland duties. However, in 2022 he described some Villa players as 'scumbags' for their lack of professionalism. Agbonlahor has previously called Keane a 'bitter guy' for his criticism of Harry Maguire and Declan Rice.
