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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Eamon Doggett

Roy Keane booed as he plays for Manchester United again at Anfield

Roy Keane was booed as he played for a Manchester United legends team at Anfield on Saturday.

The former United captain was cajoled into dusting off his boots for the match against a team of Liverpool legends by his former teammate Denis Irwin.

It was the first time Keane has played in a Manchester United jersey since his final match for the club in 2005 - which was coincidentally at Anfield.

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17 years later, Keane, donning his trademark black boots, came onto the pitch with ten minutes of the match remaining to replace Darron Gibson.

But not surprisingly he didn't receive the warmest of welcomes. The Liverpool fans booed the former captain of their great rivals as he came onto the pitch.

Roy Keane of Manchester United Legends in action (John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Keane took it all in good spirits and showed he never indulges in sentimentality when refusing to accept the captain's armband from Ronnie Johnson.

The Corkman's willingness to take part was particularly surprising given how only last month, he told Off the Ball that he had turned down offers to appear in such legends games because his fitness levels are no longer up to playing in any capacity.

He said: "I'm not fit. I'm far from fit. My fitness levels are actually very, very embarrassing.

"Just because I've not put on loads of weight doesn't mean to say I'm fit. I wouldn't really be able to do any running.

"Put it this way, I've been invited a number of times over the last few years to play legends games or whatever you want to call it.

"I'd find it really difficult because I wouldn't be able to get around. Too many injury problems.

"I try to have a decent diet and I'm obviously weary about putting on too much weight.

"But I certainly wouldn't be fit enough to go on any sort of run. I do a small bit of cycling but even that - I'm not exactly Sean Kelly."

United lost the match 2-1 to Liverpool, with Robbie Keane setting up Mark Gonzalez to score Liverpool's equaliser before Florent Sinama Pongolle scored the winner.

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