Manchester United icon Bryan Robson has explained how he sacrificed his own place at Old Trafford to facilitate the arrival of Roy Keane.
United splashed a British record fee of around £3.75million to sign Roy Keane from Nottingham Forest back in 1993 and the Irishman would go on to enjoy a successful career at Old Trafford.
The arrival of Keane meant that club legend Bryan Robson's time with United came to an end the following year and the 60-year-old has now revealed that it was him who actually urged the Red Devils to sign Keane as his midfield successor, despite knowing well that the move could lead to his own exit from Old Trafford.
Robson said: "Funnily enough, I possibly had a bit of an influence on that signing. I was in with the staff one morning when they were talking about Keane. The boss was asking whether they should pay that sort of money for him. I said, 'For what it's worth, Gaffer, I'd pay whatever it takes to get him.'
"People go on about Keane being my natural successor and the similarities between us. He certainly went on to prove his worth as a central midfield player and captain, but every player has his own style and personality and has to be judged as an individual.
"I knew I was shooting myself in the foot. The first-choice combination in midfield would probably be Paul Ince and Keane because I was getting on, but that didn't bother me as long as I could still be part of United and come in whenever I was needed."
