Roy Keane’s strained relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson is well documented following his exit from Manchester United.
The breakdown in their relationship has been explained in Keane’s autobiography after they experienced many years of success at the Red Devils.
The former Republic of Ireland international did move into management following his retirement before becoming better known for his no-nonsense punditry style.
This attitude and job gave the former Manchester United captain the chance to give his view on the actions of the legendary manager after what he did to Preston North End, something that included a current Wrexham star.
Roy Keane lets his opinion be known about Sir Alex Ferguson ending Matty James’ Preston North End loan early
Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson had loaned several players to Preston North End in the summer of 2010 to help his son Darren, who was manager of the Lancashire club; however, he was sacked in December, less than a year after his appointment.
As a result, the Red Devils manager recalled the players, Ritchie de Laet, Josh King, and current Wrexham star Matty James, to Old Trafford.
That left Phil Brown with a tough job to do in January, and Preston unsurprisingly slipped to League One.
Sir Alex’s petty actions have left a sour taste in the mouths of many Preston fans, and almost nine years on, the situation has been surprisingly brought back into the public eye.
Another who was not a fan was Roy Keane, who gave his opinion to Off The Ball on this decision.
He said, “Darren, his son, was at Preston one time,” said Keane. “Darren loses his job, had a couple of young players on loan from Man United. Guess what happens the next day? They’re pulled out of Preston. Is that what’s doing the best for Man United? Do me a favour.”
Matty James had been loving life at Preston North End
Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, Matty James, who was 18 at the time, had expressed how happy he was to be at Preston North End to be able to get minutes of first-team senior football.
James would never play for Manchester United, which explains why he was pleased to be impressing in the Championship at the time.
He said: “It’s a good experience for me to come here.
“When I go back in the summer, I’ll see if I can impress the gaffer [Sir Alex Ferguson], but if not, I can re-evaluate and see what happens.
“It’s been great playing league football week in, week out.
“They are such a big club for a young lad to come to, and obviously the connection with United through the years has been big.”
Now, he is back in the Championship with the Red Dragons, and James thought he knew how to beat Birmingham City; however, they would draw 1-1 on Friday night with several Wrexham players impressing.