Alan Shearer has opened up about his infamous feud with Roy Keane, recalling the 2001 clash that nearly led to a physical altercation in the tunnel. The former Newcastle United striker, now a BBC pundit, described how Keane was waiting for him after Manchester United's 4-3 defeat at St James' Park.
Speaking to The Athletic in 2021, Shearer said: 'When the final whistle went, Roy was standing at the top of the stairs waiting for me. I'm pretty sure a few more choice words were exchanged, there was some bustling and scrambling, but there were way too many people between us for anything physical to actually happen.'
The incident on the pitch saw Keane throw the ball at Shearer's head, shove him, and slap a yellow card from the referee's hand, resulting in a red card. Keane later admitted: 'If you're going to get sent off you might as well punch him properly because you're going to get the same punishment.'
Despite Shearer insisting he never viewed Keane as an enemy, the Irishman has remained uncomplimentary. On The Overlap Live, Keane revealed their feud persists, stating: 'There's one or two I've done games with where we couldn't get over that hurdle of what happened in the past. Shearer... forget it.'
Shearer, however, has since claimed Keane 'ran away' from him in the tunnel, adding: 'Roy didn't like me for some reason, I don't know why. He was getting beaten that day.'
