Roddy Doyle commits to co-write Roy Keane memoir
Booker-winning author to help legendary midfielder with 're-evaluation of the meaning of success'
Writing team ... Roy Keane and Roddy Doyle, who are collaborating on the midfielder's next memoir. Composite: Reuters/Martin Godwin
The Booker prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyle is to team up with Roy Keane to write a motivational memoir which, according to its publisher, "re-evaluates the meaning of success".
The midfield enforcer, once of Manchester United and the Republic of Ireland, has lost none of his bite since retiring as a player, spending time as a similarly formidable manager and TV pundit.
A memoir entitled The Second Half will leave Keane's former manager,Sir Alex Ferguson, looking over his shoulder for a crunching literary tackle after a feud dating back to 2005 moves to the bookshelves. Ferguson labelled Keane "a man of extremes" in an autobiography which went on to become the bestselling book of 2013.
Keane hit back immediately, suggesting Ferguson did not know the meaning of loyalty, but a book which promises to explore "challenges beyond the pitch" and the "psychological struggles" involved in coming to terms with life as an ex-Manchester United player can hardly avoid Keane's troubled relationship with his former manager.
According to Alan Sansom, who acquired the book for Orion, it will become a benchmark for sports autobiography. He said: "The combination of an outstanding player – and leader – like Roy with a writer of Roddy's extraordinary gifts should result in one of the books of the year."
Doyle, who returned last year to the characters of his 1987 novel The Commitments – as well as writing a musical version of the original book – said he was delighted to be working with such a globally recognised figure as Keane.
"Ten years ago I was buying something in a shop in New York and I handed my credit card to the young African man behind the counter," he said. "He read 'Bank of Ireland' on the card, looked at me and said: 'Ireland – Roy Keane'."
It is not clear if this book – described as "a personal odyssey, a blend of anecdote and reflection" – can match the impact of Keane's 2002 autobiography. In it the midfielder described the controversial tackle on the Norwegian footballer Alf Inge Haaland in 2001.
"I'd waited long enough," wrote Keane. "I fecking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that, you cnut. I didn't wait for [the referee] Mr Elleray to show the card. I turned and walked to the dressing room."
The admission that the tackle was an act of premeditated revenge for an incident in 1997 brought threats of legal action from Haaland and his club, Manchester City, as well as FA charges of bringing the game into disrepute and a £150,000 fine.
Keane is now assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland.
Will anyone buy this? I got his original autobiography at the time, but given how he has systematically worked to destroy his legacy at the club since leaving through his repeated attacks on the club, does anyone care that much about his post-United ups and downs?
I'll never forget what he did for United on the pitch and he is still an interesting character but not sure his breed of motivational thoughts are for me.
