Roy Keane's solicitor 'nearly fell off his chair’ in meeting that ended Man Utd career

Roy Keane's tenure at Manchester United came to an abrupt end following a brief but explosive 10-minute meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson and then-CEO David Gill.

The iconic United skipper parted ways with the club in November 2005 by mutual consent, marking a sudden conclusion to his 12-year spell under Ferguson. Keane's exit was unexpected and left him clubless until January of the following year.

His contract was nearing its end, and there were no indications that the Red Devils were planning to offer an extension. The situation escalated after Keane delivered a scathing critique of his team-mates on MUTV after a heavy 4-1 loss to Middlesbrough, which infuriated Ferguson.

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Keane has now shed light on the decisive meeting he had with Ferguson and Gill, alongside his solicitor, where it was made clear his services were no longer required - a decision he accepted without argument, reports the Mirror.

On the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Keane recounted: "People have an opinion about the way I left Manchester United but there was stuff that went on in the summer before that. Lots of stuff I look back on - and maybe I'll never understand, maybe I'll never get to the bottom of it and I'm fine with that as well.

"Maybe as I get a bit older, I'll look back and go, 'Well that maybe makes sense', but I still don't understand when I hear a manager going 'I've got to do what's right for the club', I'd argue a little going, 'What about the players who have done well for you? Why not do right by them?

"I'm not saying look after them, I'm saying how can we not sit down? I almost have to remind people, I couldn't go to anybody, I left October, November - came back from a broken foot which I broke at Anfield, couldn't go to another team - how a club can't sit down with somebody, and I've seen a lot of people leave on bad terms, and that's fine that's life."

Keane has been outspoken in his criticism of Ferguson's handling of player departures, particularly taking issue with what he saw as his tendency to make abrupt decisions to part ways with players who either displeased him or were beyond their peak. Notable stars such as Paul Ince, Jaap Stam, and David Beckham are among those who had their time at Old Trafford cut short following disagreements with the formidable Scottish manager.

Keane continued: "Listen, nobody died, but I'm getting statements passed across to me going 'Ferguson's saying you can go [to another club]', I'm getting all this feedback, 'there's cashflow problems'. You know when you're talking about terminating your contract and all that, and I'm looking at them, 'Really?' And I got my back up as well. Listen, an older me now, if I was giving someone advice about me [back then], I'd go, 'Hey step back for the week, take it all in'.

"My solicitor, who did all my deals, was the most relaxed, placid man you'd ever meet a very good man and knew a good deal but he almost fell off his chair. Ferguson and [David] Gill went 'We've come to the end and here's a statement'. I was like 'Alright' and he was like 'What?!'. I said 'Leave it Mike' and they went out and I said 'Yeah, I'm out of here', and he couldn't believe it all within 10 minutes.

"I just think if people think that little of you, I'm not going to go, 'Well you know, I'm going to see my contract out', believe it or not, I thought too much of the club. I could have easily gone, 'Is that what you think of me? But I'll see out my contract, I'll come in everyday'.

"I wouldn't have been a nuisance, I wouldn't have been a bad lad around the place but I could have gone, 'I'll go in the summer', because obviously off the back of what happened with Ireland with the World Cup, the first thing people then go, 'Oh, listen, he's lost the plot again'. No, it was the club are sitting in front of me, Gill and Ferguson, going, 'Oh yeah we've done a statement, we think you've come to the end'.

"In hindsight, [I could have said], "We've come to the end, yeah, but I've got a contract with Manchester United just like you do with United'. You're on about principles but when something like that is in front of me, I'm like disgusted with people, I go 'I wouldn't even want to see you again'. I was home by half nine, quarter to 10, my wife's gone, 'What's happened?'

"I went, 'It's over'. They still hadn't done my termination, and Mike was like, 'I can't believe it's happening' and then statements came out, then I found out that day I couldn't go to another team so I couldn't play until January.

"If I'd have known, I would have said, 'I'll just train with the reserves and get myself fit', so I left Manchester United having not played for two or three months with a broken foot, and I couldn't go to anyone until January. I was in no man's land."

Keane later signed an 18-month contract with Celtic in the following transfer window. However, he was unable to join Celtic Park until January 1, leading him to retrospectively suggest that it might have been more beneficial if he hadn't departed when he did.