Looking back at the recent match at Highbury, Keano said, “I think that I was a bit more controlled. The odd foul? Okay, but I wasn't booked. Then again, 33 years old now, eventually the penny has to drop. There would have been a little bit of needle against Arsenal. I'm not patting myself on the back for not getting booked or sent off or anything. The game itself, though, if you analyse it I was quite poor in it. It's stuff you keep to yourself, though. I leave it up to the experts to decide anyway. The so-called experts.”
Inevitably the tunnel incident was raised, "I just don't like that behaviour. They drew the line during the warm-up. I came into the dressing-room after the warm-up and heard that Vieira had gone after Gary Neville already. You understand that fellas are up for it before a game, or even on the pitch that they'll lose the head, I've done that myself over the years - but when Gary told me. Bloody hell. So, then I'm usually first out in the tunnel, but I had a problem with my shorts and I was maybe fourth or fifth out and by the time I got down I saw Vieira getting right into Gary Neville again. I mean physically as well now. I don't mean verbally.
"I said 'That's it. I'm not having this'. I'd do it again tomorrow. Enough is enough. I couldn't accept it. Still wouldn't. I've played against players over the years and you need to earn each other's respect. That sort of behaviour, I wouldn't tolerate it. We played Arsenal in 1999, and we beat them in the Cup semi-final and there was a lot of rivalry with those teams. We beat them at Villa Park and two or three of them, Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, I remember, came into our dressing-room and wished us the best. It must have been hard for them but there was respect there.
“There was rivalry, but there was also an element of respect. I know it takes two to tango, I understand that, and maybe Gary Neville deserves to be chased up a tunnel every now and then - there'd be a queue for him probably - but I think you have to draw a line eventually."
And the comments about Senegal? "It makes me laugh, players going on about how they are saving this country and saving that country, but when they have the opportunity to play . . . well, it's probably none of my business."
Keane also told of Fergie’s reaction to his retirement announcement, "He pulled me over next day and said, 'Roy, I'll be the one to decide when you retire'. It made me laugh, I'd always thought of myself as being in control of where I'm heading.
"The club have helped me, especially when there's three games in a week. I got a knock recently and missed the Portugal game for Ireland. That's common sense, it's nothing about being clever or picky. It's using my head. Hopefully when I come for the Israel match I'll be as well prepared and fresh as anybody. Nowadays I have to look ahead like that.
"Mentally, I'm enjoying it. I see there's not much further to go. This Saturday could be the last time or the second-last time I play in the Cup. I know there's only one more visit to certain grounds. There is only an opportunity to play twice more against certain players, players you'd have a rivalry with. There's not many battles left with them."
And it is his visits to a local Yoga class that are helping him to keep going, although it seemed strange at first. "Yeah, I was wondering 'what the hell am I doing here'. So were they. I'd worked out it must be of benefit, though. I went in and I couldn't do any of the stretching stuff because the woman was busy with all the other classes. They were all quite old, but there was one good-looking one. I watched her stretching for a while!
"It's still hard. I lie down and she can push my leg back to 90 degrees. You should be able to do that on your own, but I don't know whether it's an Irish thing or just the time I came up in, but I never stretched. There's benefits. You loosen the muscle and take pressure off your joints.”
Roy’s life in general is going well, despite a court appearance next week and the occasional yearning to be back in Cork with his mates Speaking of the court date he says, "I've had this sort of thing before. I could do without it. It could be worse. These things come up in life. My life is simple, I don't think I could live a more simple life. Go to work, go home, get the kids from school. I'm well rewarded, Nice house. That's all.” And spending time with his mates, "I still miss that. I was looking at the lads. They were going home to Cork. One of them coaches Rockmount now. You feel you're missing out on that. Missing out on the crack with them, missing out on the crack with my three brothers. There's times when I'd be thinking that the brothers are all closer to each other than I am to any of them. Of course they are, it's obvious. I've been away a long time. There are negatives. I have to look at the positives.
"I am comfortable with the people I grew up with. A few years ago there was a time when - I wouldn't say I went off the rails, but I wasn't sure what way I was heading, what sort of person I should be. You know, with the money and the success and the exposure. I did lose touch with a lot of people. It's easy to do. I lost touch with Cork. I was out and about. In the last few years I've got in touch with a lot of the lads I grew up with it. I go home when I can. It's important to have a sense of that, even for Theresa and the kids. I like for them to know where I grew up and to identify with what being Irish is all about. I'm living in England but I see myself as being Irish. I see my family as Irish, my kids as Irish. Of course they're in school and they're talking about the things English kids talk about.
"I ask the little lad, 'who do you follow?' and he says 'England'! I know he's only winding me up. I think! I got him the Irish gear a couple of weeks ago, Theresa and I were home and we bought it for him at the airport. He has the Celtic gear, the United gear, you try to please them all, let them grow up in the place they are and remind them of what they are. They're Irish, but they were born in England, they live in England.
His explanation for his return to international football, "I looked at the last campaign, especially the one or two results against Switzerland. I just knew I could help. I couldn't go back and change things drastically, but I thought we needed that little bit more experience, especially in the position I play in the centre of the park. That showed up a little. That's not being critical of the lads that played there, it's just I had this little bit more experience.
“I thought I could play some part in helping the team qualify. You only get so many chances. I wasn't coming back on a big ego trip, it wasn't because of the past. Qualifying would be the next priority. I could do something."
And will he go into management? "I think I could be okay. I could surprise myself. Then again I see Brucie and Mark Hughes and I see how grey they are. They're in their early 40s! It's not as if they are 60 and have been managing for 20 years, then you'd expect a few scars. But these are only getting going. You do wonder."