Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has opened up on the "very bad" first date he had with his his then-girlfriend, Theresa, prior to their 25-year marriage.
The Red Devils legend has kept his family life private over the years despite his outspoken demeanour as a pundit. However, it appears that Keane’s straight-talking persona did not wash when taking Theresa out on a first date after the pair initially met in a nightclub in Nottingham.
Speaking on Irish talkshow 'The Tommy Tiernan Show' on Saturday evening, Keane said: "We probably only had one really proper date, which wasn't good, really."
Probed by host Tommy, the former midfielder admitted: "It went very badly. We met, I picked her up, and I'd met her [before] when I had a few drinks, so the chat was slightly different.
"We went for a spin and I said, 'Do you fancy going to the pictures?', because at least at the pictures you can just watch the movie, you don't have to chat too much.
"And she said 'No, I went last night with my friends'. So I said, 'Do you want to go for a drink?'. She said, 'No'.
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"I literally drove back to the house, this is all within 10 or 15 minutes. She said, 'What are you doing?'. I said, 'Well, you don't want to go for a drink, you don't want to go to the pictures, what else can we do?'.
"She got out [of the car] and I said, 'Might see you next week', and she said, 'I don't think so', and slammed the door. That was my first date."
Keane's account of his comical outing with Theresa left the show's audience in stitches and host Tommy speechless.
It appears that the disastrous first date did not cause too much damage, fortunately, as the pair went on to get married in 1997 in a low-key affair. Writing in his book, 'Roy Keane: The Second Half', he said of the wedding: "It was a private occasion, with just fifteen immediate family members present.
“Theresa's father Nick gave her away, my sister Hilary acted as bridesmaid, my brother Johnson was my best man, with my other brothers Denis and Pat as my groomsmen. It was a wonderful day, marking by far the happiest development in my life."
Keane and Theresa have gone on to have five children. The former midfielder retired from the game in 2006 following a brief spell with Scottish giants Celtic. He subsequently moved into management, taking the helm at Sunderland and Ipswich Town before becoming assistant with the Republic of Ireland, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.
