The former Aston Villa star recalled his feud with the Manchester United icon in the training ground prior to his departure.
The former Aston Villa star, Gabriel Agbonlahor once had to work together with the Manchester United legend, Roy Keane. He happened to work as the assistant manager in the club under Paul Lambert in the early 2014/15. They were supposed to be supporting each other for the sake of the club but it did not materialise. In fact, both engaged in a conflict leading to Keane’s departure.
Agbonlahor shared his memory during the interview in In The Mixer, brought by Sky Bet, as reported by Birmingham mail.
“We done this training session where the whole team’s doing a crossing and shooting session but [it’s] six or seven passes before you get like a cross in a shot. The standard wasn’t great but you’re taking one shot every 10 minutes, so the players are getting cold. Gaffer Paul Lambert pulls it in and says alright guys, not good enough. Me as one of the captains there says, ‘Gaffer, everyone’s getting cold’. “
The conflict began as the Manchester United icon commented sarcastically on Villa players due to their ‘getting cold’ issue. Agbonlahor, on the other hand, attempted to defend the players, just like what the skipper needed to do. He recalled that event quite vividly as he shared his tale.
“Roy Keane was like, ‘Oh you’re getting cold. Are you wanting to warm up?’ Being sarcastic. So at that time the players had enough of him. I just said, like, ‘Roy, I’m not talking to you, I’m talking to the manager’.
“He gives me them eyes, them angry eyes. He’s glaring at me and then the gaffer’s gone, ‘blah blah blah’. And then the next day he left.
“He left Villa because I think he probably thought, ‘These players are going to make me do something I regret’. He was gone but for me it was more like, ‘You’re not going to bully me’.”
The Irish manager eventually left after just five months in Bodymoor Heath. He did not mention the feud with the players as his reason for departure in November 2014. Yet, he did eventually expose it in The Overlap Live interview back in 2022.
“It’s when you leave United and go to other clubs you realise the players don’t train properly, the players don’t turn up for training, they don’t speak to the gaffer properly. You only find out when you leave.
“I was at Aston Villa for a while. One or two players were, like, scumbags. They’d be scumbags on a building site. They wouldn’t train properly. The way they’d speak to staff – you’re thinking ‘amazing!’”
The name of Roy Keane seems to be synonymous to the feud. He was certainly no stranger to it as a player, in the club and Republic of Ireland national team.
Sadly, he had never toned down his habit as a manager. Such made a flaw in his man management aspect during his managerial career. Prior to the feud with Agbonlahor in the Villans, he was already notorious for his strained relationship with the players and management during his stint in Sunderland and Ipswich Town as the team manager from 2006 to 2011.
Then, as an assistant manager, Keane was once again in a row while working under Martin O’Neil in the Republic of Ireland. The former defensive midfielder was involved twice, with different parties. One of them was even a feud with the players again. Jonathan Walters and Harry Arter were the victims of his harsh approach and altercation.
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