Inside Roy Keane's Christmas Day as former player recalls his festive spirit

Roy Keane will enjoy a traditional Christmas Day with those closest to him ahead of the busy football period over the festive season.

The Manchester United legend can enjoy the festivities a lot more since hanging up his boots as a player. Keane previously told what the big day is like in his home with his wife Theresa, children and grandchildren.

Keane appeared on Driving Home for Christmas with Micah Richards in the past and revealed that It's a Wonderful Life is his favourite movie to watch over the festive period.

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But the Cork native also told how he enjoyed training on Christmas Day during his playing days.

He said: "I loved the discipline at Christmas. People says when you're a player you're training on Christmas day but I loved the discipline on focusing on the matches and the games over Christmas are huge.

"I used to love all that and training on Christmas day."

And Keane said of Christmas players: "I loved it as a player and there would be private rooms and chaos. I loved it as a player but as you get a bit older I wouldn't be bothered organising a Christmas function."

On what's usually on the menu, Keane added: "Have a guess, I have Turkey. Not Chinese on Christmas Day. Sprouts, carrots, potatoes. gravy and stuffing.

"We always know it's Christmas in our house because we have a starter... prawn cocktail."

Roy Keane
(Image: Getty Images)

Keane also has experience of being a manager during the festive period, with fellow Cork native Roy O'Donovan previously revealing that the 53-year-old wasn't as strict with his players during Christmas as many would expect.

“It might have been December 25th,” former Cork City striker O’Donovan wrote in his column for Australian publication keepup.org.au.

“But it was only in the evening when Roy Keane lent over the bar and offered me a pint of Guinness that I began to feel even a little bit Christmassy.

He continued: “My first year in England, having signed for Sunderland in 2007, Roy Keane called us to stay in a hotel on Christmas night, even though we were at home the next day, taking on Manchester United in the sort of Boxing Day fixture the fans love.

Roy Keane during his time as Sunderland manager in 2007
(Image: Getty Images)

“I think Roy was trying to strike a balance between giving us Christmas morning and afternoon at home with family – especially important for team-mates with kids – and making sure we still stayed focused, despite all the festivities around us.

“This might surprise you given Roy’s reputation for straight talking and demanding standards but he got a couple of rounds in at the hotel bar that night; Guinness, naturally enough, for Irishmen like him and me.

“Throughout my career I found that coaches who treated us as adults were rare, but usually were rewarded with grown-up behaviour.”

However, the Christmas day pints didn't have the desired effect as Sunderland lost 4-0 to Manchester United the following day.

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