Wes Brown describes Roy Keane as the perfect captain, recalls his shock when Sir Alex got rid of Becks, and describes Ronaldo’s self-belief
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In the third part of a Ladbrokes Fanzone exclusive, former Manchester United defender Wes Brown recalls playing with Roy Keane, his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson, the sale of David Beckham plus the best players during his time at Old Trafford.
Roy Keane wasn’t your mate; you wouldn’t sit with him in the canteen
Roy Keane was gone when I joined Sunderland but I love him. I think he is fair if that makes sense. When I was a kid, he was scary. Nobody could be perfect, but he wanted perfection. What people didn’t understand is that when you played really well, Roy would let you know. He wouldn’t just be shouting at you when you did something wrong like many believed. He was a captain, and he was perfect for what we needed.
Keano was very clever. He worked out my character and he knew he could have a go at me and I would respond. However, he would take it easier on someone else who would be likely to take it hard and go into their shell if they were shouted at. I was only young and when he put in such an amount of graft, I would follow and do the same.
You wouldn’t think Keano was approachable, but he was. He wasn’t your mate; you wouldn’t sit with him in the canteen, not from my experience anyway. He was the captain, not your mate and that was that. What many didn’t realise was that if you did go up to him for a chat, he was absolutely fine. The public image isn’t the truth. Although, it would be good to know if he has ever left his phone on by accident!
On Sir Alex Ferguson…
My relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson depended on if I was in trouble or not. It was great though and ultimately you are there for a reason, you are there to win football matches. I came in as a local lad and learned a lot very young. Even the little things, I couldn’t do what my friends were doing.
When I needed to be told something even if I didn’t like it, he would tell me, but also he would praise me for playing good football. He was great in that sense to me. Everyone has heard stories from other players’ relationship with him but I got on great. When he got rid of Becks, I was still a kid, and couldn’t believe he was getting rid of one of our best players. It was crazy. And for us younger players, it gave us the sense not to mess with the manager.
But that’s the sort of manager he was, he always had a plan in place, he knows what he wants, and always had a plan up his sleeve. He did it to Jaap Stam as well. He didn’t always get it right, but he was brave enough to do it.
Beckham never acted like the big dog around United, he was just the nicest guy ever
Beckham was brilliant. I watched his documentary and that is Becks; he is very chilled. When he was on the football pitch, he was a top player. He was the fittest every season and his work rate was unbelievable. I looked up to him because like me, he came through the academy, and you learnt a lot from him. He never acted like the big dog around United, he was just the nicest guy ever. On the pitch we can all have an alter-ego, but off the pitch he was so nice and even when I see him today, he is still the same.
When I see Ronnie, he is still the same person, he is still that kid who wanted to do his best
Ronaldo was brilliant. All he wanted was to win. He was one of them players who always showed up and did what needed to be done. I call him one of the special players, especially because he was so young. The belief he had in himself was unbelievable. And it wasn’t in an arrogant way.
He came here as a kid and he was funny to us. He would be looking in the mirror and we would all have a joke about it. When I see Ronnie, he is still the same person, he is still that kid who wanted to do his best. He was very family based. His mum and dad came over at the beginning, then just his mum, and he had his brother and sister there. Everyone grows up different, but he kept his family with him to keep himself grounded and that was very good for him.
The most intelligent player was Paul Scholes by far
As a kid my favourite player was Ryan Giggs, I used to watch him when I was at school and then I got to play with him. You leave, and he is still playing. It’s crazy when you think about it.
The most intelligent player was Paul Scholes by far. If you want someone to dictate play, it was him. He was really quiet, so I was surprised when he got into punditry. He was obviously pretending he was shy at the time so he didn’t need to do the media. Clever!
Wayne Rooney wasn’t far behind. He had the imagination not just to score goals but to assist. Another very clever, smart player. Ronaldo is a game-changer, just a goal machine. It’s tough to pick one, but those were the top four for me.
