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www.ireland.com
Paul O'Hehir
15/12/2005: Former Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane has joined Celtic on a free transfer after successfully passing a medical examination at Parkhead this morning.
The switch ends a month of transfer speculation following the 34-year-old’s departure from Manchester United four weeks ago when his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
Keane has agreed an 18-month deal and will wear the number 16 shirt which he carried to such success at Old Trafford during his 12 year reign under Alex Ferguson.
"This is a great move for me," Keane said today. "It has been a strange few weeks but I’m glad I took a little bit of time to consider it. I’m looking forward to the challenge. . .but I’m under no illusions I’ll walk into this team.
"This is not a PR exercise or ego trip for me, nor is it a chance to unwind. I will train as hard as I can and look to give the manager a (selection) problem."
The Cork man must, however, take a massive pay cut but he will still be Celtic’s highest ever paid player.
Keane made in the region of £100,000 a week at Old Trafford but is said to be earning just over a third of that figure now.
And a percentage of his new wage is reportedly being met by the club’s largest individual shareholder, Dermot Desmond, although chief executive Peter Lawwell emphatically denied this.
"Dermot Desmond has been a fantastic supporter of this transaction. But in terms of his support that is where it started and ended. There is no financial contribution Dermot will make towards this deal."
Although Real Madrid, Everton and Bolton were prepared to offer Keane more money, Celtic are facilitating Keane’s coaching needs by allowing him complete the courses required to obtain a Premiership manager’s licence.
Having spoken to a number of clubs, Keane finally informed Celtic of his decision yesterday morning.
Keane left United four weeks ago but he will have gone some three-and-a-half-months without a game by the time he plays his first match for Celtic.
The Hearts match on New Years Day is the first game he is eligible for but he will be lacking match practice as he hasn’t played since breaking his foot in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool in August.
The former Republic of Ireland international is a regular visitor in the Parkhead stands but will get his first taste of Old Firm atmosphere on the pitch when Rangers host Celtic at Ibrox in February.
Manager Gordon Strachan praised Keane’s versatility. "He’s a competitor and we cant have enough of them in this squad," he said.
Keane joins Celtic
"It was too good a chance to miss out on one of the world’s best competitors."
Keane has never hidden his desire to one-day play for the Glasgow club. He wrote in his autobiography after the last World Cup that Celtic might be the only club he could play for after United.
Without explaining quite what they are, Keane said he still has ambitions to achieve as a player.
"Winning games and trophies is why I’m here. Some people think I’m 94 but I’m only 34 and I feel very good. I think I have a few surprises in me still."
Keane’s decision to join Celtic is a blow to Bolton boss Sam Allardyce who would have benefited from the midfielder’s experience in the knockout stages of the Uefa Cup for which his team qualified last night.
Everton, too, were in the hunt for his signature but, in truth, were always well down the pecking order behind Real Madrid, Bolton and, of course, his new employers.
Madrid looked the likeliest destination during the last fortnight but the club’s president Florentino Perez went cold on the deal this week, as too did father-of-five Keane who was concerned about time away from his family.
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Good evening, there was already an injury, huh?
Giovanni Trapattoni, falling off his chair