On 15 September 2001, Alan Shearer worked his magic to get Roy Keane sent off in Newcastle United’s 4-3 win against Manchester United at St James’ Park.
While the Toon legend was mainly known for his goals, Alan Shearer knew a thing or two about getting into the minds of opposing players.
Shearer now shares his opinions on TV following his retirement, while also telling stories of his playing days and recalling some of his most memorable moments for Newcastle United.
The striker was not known to have the best relationship with Roy Keane, who was known to have a short fuse on the pitch. Keane was sent off a staggering 13 times during his days in English football, the joint-most in the history of the English game.
Keane was once sent off against the Magpies in 2000 for two bookable offences, but it was his second red card against Newcastle in 2001 that is remembered by many due to the manner in which it occurred.
Alan Shearer explains how he got Roy Keane sent off in historic Man United clash
Shearer played a blinder in getting Keane riled up and eventually sent off at St James’ Park. The Newcastle legend gave Keane a push as he was about to take a throw-in, causing Keane to launch the ball at him.
The Irishman then flailed his arms at Shearer, which caused the referee to drop his yellow card on the floor. The referee then changed his decision to red, which sent Keane into a frenzy, trying to get at Shearer.
During a conversation on the BBC Match of the Day Podcast in 2024, Shearer revealed the secret to getting Keane sent off.
“We were beating them at St James’ Park and he wanted to take a quick throw-in,” he said.
“He’d been at me all game as he normally was.
“I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I called him some sort of name. He got the red card, and I remember having a little smile, thought ‘I’ve done you a kipper there, I can’t believe you’ve fallen into that little trap’.
“I could see him, the steam was coming out of his ears! I’m thinking, do I run straight off to try and get up the (tunnel)? Because I knew for a fact that Roy would be waiting at the top of the tunnel.
“I say thanks and shake hands and what have you, and then there’s this big commotion going on. I look up there and there’s Roy waiting for me at the top of the tunnel. It was one of them ‘Alright, hold me back!’
“We couldn’t get together (to fight).
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What Roy Keane said about Alan Shearer after Newcastle United red card
Newcastle got the last laugh on the day, but fans would still love to know what would have happened if Shearer and Keane got their hands on each other in the tunnel at St James’ Park.
We will never know, as Shearer and Keane appear to get on without much issue now, but that does not stop the Newcastle fans from saying that the Irishman is scared of the Geordie.
While doing punditry for Sky Sports earlier this year, Keane revealed why he reacted the way he did.
“People annoy me!” he said.
“Do you know what, I think I got fined two weeks wages for that. I’m still annoyed with Wes for that OG at the end. The referee didn’t help.
“One in particular, yeah, and he (Shearer) still annoys me.”
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