Sky Sports has announced measures to protect pundit Roy Keane from abusive supporters during Premier League matches this season. The decision follows a series of incidents where the former Manchester United midfielder was targeted by fans.
In 2023, a 43-year-old Arsenal fan was convicted of headbutting Keane at the Emirates Stadium. Additionally, Ipswich Town supporters clashed with him at Portman Road last season. Despite these events, Keane, 54, has renewed his contract with the broadcaster and will be present at Old Trafford for Manchester United's opening match against Arsenal on Sunday.
Sky's chief sports officer Jonathan Licht stated, 'It’s our responsibility to make sure we don’t expose any of our team to those sorts of incidents.' He added, 'He loves being part of the big games and we hope that will continue long into this deal.'
Gary Hughes, director of football at Sky Sports, noted, 'Roy is a great guy, you want him on your team. He’s had a few incidents in the last couple of seasons, with Arsenal and Ipswich, and it does affect him. But ultimately he wants to be involved in the biggest games. He wants to be at Old Trafford for Manchester United against Arsenal.'
Keane will continue to feature in Sky's Premier League coverage alongside Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards.
